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In the paper, a printed notched antenna for eight-band long term evolution (LTE)/global system for mobile communications (GSM)/universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) wireless universal serial bus (USB) dongle application is proposed. As a low profile and easily fed by a 50- microstrip feed line, the presented antenna comprises a matching network (including a serial chip capacitance 3 pF and a parallel chip inductance 8.5 nH) and a big radiating patch with a notch in the design, totally occupying a size of Based on the USB dongle system ground plane and laptop system ground plane, the radiating patch along the gap between the radiating patch and USB dongle system ground plane can generate a foundational resonant mode at about 750 MHz to cover lower bandwidth of 698–960 MHz, while the desired upper operating bands (DCS1800/PCS1900/UMTS2100/LTE2300/2500) can be obtained by the radiating patch (the notch separates the big radiating patch into two portions in order to excite another resonant mode at...

The purpose of the present study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the published literature to evaluate the diagnostic performance of fluorine-18 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) PET in the pretherapeutic assessment of nodal staging in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). We conducted a systematic MEDLINE search of articles in the published literature (last update, February 2012). Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of each study. We estimated pooled sensitivity, specificity, summary receiver operating characteristic curves, and summary likelihood ratios. A total of 409 patients from 10 studies were analyzed. The pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio of 18F-FDG PET [PET/computed tomography (CT)] in the detection of pretherapeutic lymph node involvement in patients with CRC were 42.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 36.0-50.0%], 87.9% (95% CI: 82.6-92.0%), 2.82 (95% CI: 1.96-4.07), and 0.69 (95% CI: 0.62-0.78), respectively. There is no solid evidence to support the routine clinical application of 18F-FDG PET (PET/CT) in the pretherapeutic evaluation of lymph node status in patients with CRC. However, 18F-FDG PET (PET/CT) could be used to strengthen the possibility of suspected metastatic lymph nodes detected by other imaging modalities.

The present study assessed the diagnostic performances of 18F-FDG PET or PET/CT in detecting pelvic and/or paraaortic lymph node metastasis in patients with endometrial cancer. Methods Through a search of MEDLINE (January 1998 to March 2011), an overall weighted average for sensitivity and specificity as well as pooled estimates of positive and negative likelihood ratios were calculated. A summary receiver-operating-characteristics (sROC) curve was constructed and the area under the sROC curve (AUC) was calculated. I -square was calculated to explore heterogeneity. Results The present study included 243 patients from seven studies. Results indicated a lack of significant heterogeneity for sensitivity and specificity ( I 2 p >0.05). The overall pooled estimates for sensitivity and specificity of FDG-PET or PET/CT scans in the detection of pelvic and/or paraaortic metastasis were 63.0% (95% CI, 48.7–75.7%) and 94.7% (95% CI, 90.4–97.4%), respectively. The positive likelihood ratio was 10.465 (95% CI, 5.646–19.396) and the negative likelihood ratio 0.399 (95% CI, 0.284–0.560). The AUC was 0.9533. The overall diagnostic accuracy ( Q * index) was 89.5%. Conclusion The high positive likelihood value confirms the reliability of a positive FDG-PET or PET/CT to detect pelvic and/or paraaortic lymph nodes metastasis in patients with untreated endometrial cancer. FDG-PET or PET/CT may prove beneficial to surgeons when selecting appropriate patients on whom to perform lymphadenectomy.

In this article, a planar printed antenna for eight-band LTE/WWAN operation applied in the internal mobile phone has been proposed and studied. The presented antenna consists of a feeding strip and a coupling strip, where two chip inductors with different inductances are loaded in place. The desired lower bands of LTE700/GSM850/900 operation can be achieved by the coupling strip loading an inductor of 12 nH and a longer branch loading another inductor of 24 nH in the feeding strip, which provide a quarter-wavelength dual-resonance mode at 720 and 900 MHz. While a quarter-wavelength resonant mode at around 2.95 GHz can be generated by the shorter branch of the feeding strip, and other resonant modes at 1.92 and 2.23 GHz are contributed by the higher-order resonant modes of the long feeding strip and coupling strip, covering the desired upper bands of DCS1800/PCS1900/UMTS2100/LTE2300/2500 operation. In fact, the desired resonant lengths in the lower frequencies can be decreased, and impedance matching can b...

We performed a meta-analysis to assess the potential value of dual-time-point (DTP) imaging as compared with initial single-time-point (STP) scanning with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET in differentiating malignant from benign single pulmonary nodules. Data on the performance of DTP 18F-FDG PE

In this paper, a promising internal printed slot antenna for seven-band operation applied to the mobile phone has been proposed, covering all the five WWAN (namely, Wireless Wide Area Network) bands of GSM850/900/DCS1800/PCS1900/UMTS2100 and two LTE (namely, Long Term Evolution) bands of LTE2300/2500. With the use of slot elements, the presented antenna can be easily printed on an inexpensive FR4 substrate and shows a planar structure for low-profile mobile handsets. The antenna comprises an inverted L-shaped slot and three open-ended monopole slots, and these slot elements are integrated into a compact configuration to occupy a small area of 15 mm 40 mm in the back side of the system circuit board. A 50- microstrip feed line is employed to excite the designed antenna, which is printed on the top side of the PCB (Printed Circuit Board). Details of the antenna design, simulated and measured results on the return loss and radiation characteristics of the proposed antenna are presented and discussed.

Aim The purpose of the current study was to conduct a systemic review and meta-analysis of the published literature to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of FDG PET or PET/CT in urinary bladder cancer. Materials and methods The authors conducted a systematic MEDLINE search of articles published between January 2000 and December 2010. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of each study. We conducted a meta-analysis of pooled sensitivity and specificity in detecting primary and metastatic lesions of bladder cancer. Results Six studies met the inclusion criteria. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of PET/CT for primary lesion detection of bladder cancer were 0.90 (95% CI: 0.70–0.99) and 1.00 (95% CI: 0.74–1.00), respectively. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of FDG PET or PET/CT for staging or restaging (metastatic lesions) of bladder cancer were 0.82 (95% CI: 0.72–0.89) and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.81–0.95), respectively. Conclusion The diagnostic accuracy of FDG PET or PET/CT is good in metastatic lesions of urinary bladder cancer. Due to the small number of patients and limited number of studies analyzed, the diagnostic capability of FDG PET or PET/CT in detection of primary bladder wall lesions could not be assessed.

Aim Positron emission tomography (PET) using F18-flurodeoxy-glucose (FDG) has been widely used for reflecting cellular metabolism. However, the feasibility of FDG PET in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited. The aim of the study was to assess the ability of FDG PET (PET/CT) in the detection of extrahepatic metastases or recurrent HCC. Materials and methods We conducted MEDLINE, EMBASE and COCHRANE searches (last update, April 2011). Eight eligible articles were identified evaluating F18-FDG PET (PET/CT) in extrahepatic metastases or recurrent HCC. Two authors independently evaluated the methodological quality of each study. We estimated pooled sensitivities, specificities, summary receiver-operating-characteristic (SROC) curves, and summary likelihood ratios. Results Eight eligible studies were enrolled in this study. The pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio of FDG PET (PET/CT) in the detection of metastatic HCC were 76.6%, 98.0%, 14.68, and 0.28, respectively. The pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, LR+ and LR− of FDG PET (PET/CT) in the detection of recurrent HCC were 81.7%, 88.9%, 4.72, and 0.19, respectively. Conclusion Based on the results of this systematic review, F-18 FDG PET (PET/CT) was useful in ruling in extrahepatic metastases of HCC and valuable for ruling out the recurrent HCC.

HLA antibodies and sCD30 levels were detected in the serum sampled from 620 renal graft recipients at 1 year post-transplantation, which were followed up for 5 years. Six-year graft and patient survivals were 81.6% and 91.0%. HLA antibodies were detected in 45 recipients (7.3%), of whom there were 14 cases with class I antibodies, 26 cases with class II, and 5 cases with both class I and II. Much more graft loss was record in recipients with HLA antibodies than those without antibodies (60% vs. 15.1%, p0.001). Significantly higher sCD30 levels were recorded in recipients suffering graft loss than the others (73.9±48.8 U/mL vs. 37.3±14.6 U/mL, p0.001). Compared with those with high sCD30 levels, recipients with low sCD30 levels (50 U/mL) had much better 6-year graft survival (92.4% vs. 46.6%, p0.001). Further statistical analysis showed that detrimental effect of de novo HLA antibodies and high sCD30 on graft survival was not only independent but also additive. Therefore, post-transplantation monitoring of HLA antibodies and sCD30 levels is necessary and recipients with elevated sCD30 level and/or de novo HLA antibody should be paid more attention in order to achieve better graft survival.

A compact antenna for eight-band LTE/WWAN operation internal mobile phone has been proposed in the paper. The proposed antenna is a three-dimensional structure, having a small size 15 × 40 × 3.8 mm3 on the top of the system circuit board. The designed antenna is formed by a T-shaped monopole with two stubs, a coupling strip, shorting strip and branch strip. It can generate two wide operating bands, including not only GSM1800/1900/UMTS2100/ LTE2300/2500 (1710–2690 MHz) but also LTE700/GSM850/900 (698–960 MHz). Based on the system ground plane of the antenna, the desired lower band can be achieved by the coupling strip and shorting strip, meanwhile, optimizing the two stubs of the T-shaped monopole can adjust the lower bandwidth accordingly. While the upper band can be obtained by the branch strip and T-shaped monopole with two stubs. Detailed operating principle and main parameters of the proposed antenna are also studied and discussed in this article. Finally, the simulated and measured results, ...

We conducted this study to investigate the value of the dual-time 2-[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) in assessment of the primary tumor, loco-regional lymph node and distant metastasis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.Twenty-six patients with histologically proved esophageal squamous cell carcinoma underwent dual-time FDG PET-CT before radical surgery. The standardized uptake values (SUV(max)) were obtained including early SUV(max) and delayed SUV(max), respectively. The retention index (RI) was also calculated. The results were evaluated retrospectively according to the final pathologic findings. Four diagnostic criteria including (1) early SUV(max)≧ 2.5 alone, (2) RI ≧ 10% alone, (3) a combination of early SUV(max)≧ 2.5 and RI ≧ 10%, and (4) a combination of early SUV(max)≧ 2.5 or RI ≧ 10% were used for differentiating malignancy from a benign lesion, respectively.The sensitivity of FDG PET-CT in detecting the primary tumor with combination of early SUV(max)≧ 2.5 or RI ≧ 10% was 96.2%. It was statistically significantly higher than the results using the other three criteria (p0.0001). For loco-regional lymph node detection, there was no significant difference among the 4 criteria. For distal metastases, the significantly higher specificity (100%) was found when using combination of early SUV(max)≧ 2.5 and RI ≧ 10% or using early SUV(max)≧ 2.5 alone than using the other two criteria (p=0.0058). With regard to accuracy, no significant correlations were observed among primary tumor, loco-regional lymph nodes and distant metastasis (p0.05).The preliminary result of this study demonstrated that dual-time point FDG PET-CT had limited value in detection of primary tumor and loco-regional lymph nodes metastasis. For the distant metastasis, the sensitivity and specificity would be improved if RI ≧ 10% is used as a supplemental criterion. Efforts should be made to improve the ability of the dual-time FDG PET-CT technique to assess primary tumor and loco-regional lymph nodes metastasis.

Based on the state-of-the-art studies of solar-soil source heat pump compound system, operation patterns of solar-soil compound system were analyzed, particularly the advantages of parallel operation pattern. It is found that parallel operation pattern is better for solar-soil compound system. Furthermore, the heat balance issue of solar-soil compound system was emphatically analyzed from four aspects, which were annual analysis of heating and cooling load, the heat exchange of ground heat exchanger, capacity determination of solar-assisted heat source and heat balance calculation of solar-soil compound system. Moreover, annual rate of heat balance in a solar-soil source heat pump compound system was calculated with a case study. It is shown that the annual heat unbalance ratio is 19%, which is less than 20%. As a result, the practical solar-soil compound system can basically maintain the heat balance of soil.

Rationale and Objectives The aim of this review was to evaluate the diagnostic properties of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) or PET/computed tomography (CT) and bone scintigraphy in the detection of osseous metastases in patients with lung cancer. Materials and Methods MEDLINE was searched for relevant original articles published between January 1995 and August 2010. Inclusion criteria were as follows: FDG-PET or PET/CT and bone scintigraphy was carried out to detect bone metastases in patients with lung cancer, sufficient data were presented to construct a 2 × 2 contingency table, and histopathologic analysis and/or close clinical and imaging follow-up and/or radiographic confirmation by multiple imaging modalities was used as the reference standard. Two reviewers independently extracted data related to research design, sample size, imaging techniques, technical characteristics, reference standards, methods of imaging interpretation, and totals of true-positives, false-positives, true-negatives, and false-negatives. Stata was used to obtain per patient and per lesion pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios, and areas under summary receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were calculated. Results The pooled patient-based sensitivity of FDG-PET or PET/CT was 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.88–0.96), specificity was 0.95 (95% CI, 0.91–0.98), and the AUC was 0.94. The pooled sensitivity of bone scans was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.79–0.93), specificity was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.62–0.92), and the AUC was 0.91. The pooled lesion-based sensitivity of FDG-PET or PET/CT was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.84–0.97), specificity was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.80–0.96), and the AUC was 0.97. The pooled sensitivity of bone scans was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.87–0.95), specificity was 0.57 (95% CI, 0.09–0.95), and the AUC was 0.92. Conclusions Although FDG-PET or PET/CT has higher sensitivity and specificity than bone scintigraphy, further research with a less biased design is needed to determine the most efficacious imaging modality for the detection of metastatic lung cancer.

A planar printed PIFA is proposed and fabricated in this work, which is promising for internal mobile applications. In the design, the presented antenna consists of a feeding strip and a coupling strip (which is short-circuited to the system ground by a long shorting strip). By the coupled-fed excitation, the proposed antenna can generate multiple resonant modes at lower and upper bands for seven-band WWAN operation, covering GSM850/900/DCS1800/PCS1900/UMTS2100/LTE2300/2500. In detail, the feeding strip can excite high frequency current distributions on the coupling strip by a coupling gap to generate a fundamental resonant mode at around 800 MHz, while the desired upper resonant modes at about 1850 MHz and 2550 MHz can be achieved by the feeding strip itself. The proposed antenna occupies a size of 15 × 45 mm2 and is easily printed on one surface of a FR4 substrate as system circuit board, which makes it suitable for practical mobile applications. Finally, the simulated and measured results are given, wh...

In this article, a coupled-fed planar printed antenna mounted on the compact no-ground portion of the system circuit board of a mobile phone with a low proflle of 10mm is proposed and studied. The presented antenna is formed by a double-branch feeding strip, a shorted coupling strip with two open-ended loops of difierent lengths, and a slotted ground structure consisting of two monopole slots, yet it has a size only 15 £ 50mm 2 . Two wide operating bandwidths of 698{960MHz and 1710{2690MHz can be achieved by these radiating strips, which provide multiple resonant modes at about 750, 1000, 1750, 2300 and 2900MHz. In addition, with the presence of the two narrow slots and a chip inductor (L = 1:5nH), in this study, the printed antenna can lead to much widened bandwidths in both the antenna's lower and upper bands to cover LTE700/GSM850/900 and DCS1800/PCS1900/UMTS2100/LTE2300/2500, respectively. Good radiation e-ciency and antenna gain for frequencies over the desired operating bands are obtained. Detailed design considerations of the proposed antenna are described, and both experimental and simulated results are also presented and discussed.

Objectives: Positron emission tomography (PET) using fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is useful for restaging renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and detecting metastatic diseases but is less satisfactory for detecting primary disease. We evaluated whether the integration of computed tomography (CT) scans with the PET system could increase the applicability of FDG-PET for RCC. Methods: The MEDLINE databases were searched for relevant studies published since 2001. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of each study identified. We then performed a meta-analysis of the sensitivity and specificity of FDG-PET findings as reported in all the selected studies. Results: Fourteen studies were eligible for inclusion. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of FDG-PET were 62% and 88% respectively, for renal lesions. For detecting extra-renal lesions, the pooled sensitivity and specificity of FDG-PET were 79% and 90%, respectively, based on the scans, and 84% and 91% based on the lesions. The use of a hybrid FDG-PET/CT to detect extra-renal lesions increased the pooled sensitivity and specificity to 91% and 88%, respectively, with good consistency. Conclusions: For RCC, combining the FDG-PET and CT systems is helpful for detecting extra-renal metastasis rather than renal lesions. The hybrid PET/CT system has comparable sensitivity and specificity with PET in detecting extra-renal lesions of RCC. Advances in knowledge: The FDG-PET and PET/CT systems are both useful for detecting extra-renal metastasis in renal cell carcinoma.

A novel printed ultra-wideband wireless USB dongle antenna designed utilizing a long meandered strip as a distributed inductance to enhance input impedance matching over the desired lower bands of 698–960 MHz has been proposed in the paper. The antenna is a PIFA of uniplanar configuration, which comprises a big radiating plate with a long meandered strip and a lump chip capacitance in order to improve operating band impedance matching. Therefore, it covers entire eight bands of LTE700/GSM850/900/DCS1800/PCS1900/UMTS2100/LTE2300/2500WWAN in operation. A 50-Ω microstrip feed line printed on the other side along the antenna's system ground plane is applied to excite the antenna. By incorporating the scheme, two very wide operating bandwidths (3:1 VSWR or 6-dB return loss) of about 400 MHz (from 600 to 1000 MHz) and 1750 MHz (from 1250 to 3000 MHz) are obtained, although the radiating PIFA patch is of size 20 × 20 mm2, and a simple structure above the top of the antenna's system circuit board is used to suppo...

Objective To analyze the incidence rates and risk factors for bacteremia in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD). Methods The records of 898 consecutive patients undergoing dialysis from January 2003 to December 2008 were reviewed retrospectively. Episodes of bacteremia were recorded. China Medical University (Taichung, Taiwan). Results The overall incidence rate of bacteremia was 7.63 per 100 patient-years in HD patients and 3.56 per 100 patient-years in PD patients and it was higher in HD patients each year from 2003 to 2008. S. aureus (27.53%) was the most common pathogen in HD patients, whereas Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (21.3%) was the most common pathogen in PD patients. Vascular access infection was the most common etiology in HD patients, whereas peritonitis was the most common etiology in PD patients. Older age, shorter dialysis vintage, use of HD rather than PD, current smoker, use of a venous dialysis catheter, presence of diabetes mellitus, higher comorbidity score, and lower serum albumin were significant risk factors for bacteremia. Diabetes mellitus and lower serum albumin were significant risk factors for bacteremia-associated mortality. Conclusion Placement of a permanent access (fistula, graft, or PD catheter) prior to initiation of dialysis, smoking cessation, and better nutritional status (i.e. higher serum albumin) were associated with a reduced risk of bacteremia in dialysis patients. Higher serum albumin was also associated with a reduced bacteremia-associated mortality.

In the letter, a simply printed planar antenna covering GSM850/900/1800/1900/UMTS2100 and LTE700/2300/2500 operating frequency bands for wireless USB dongle applications is proposed, designed, and fabricated. The presented antenna consists of a large patch and a matching network in order to enhance impedance bandwidth. The upper operating bands including GSM1800/1900/UMTS2100/LTE2300/2500 are primarily attributed to the large patch. Meanwhile, the lower resonant modes covering LTE700/GSM850/900 bands are generated physically by ground planes of both the USB dongle circuit board and the laptop board. The impedance matching over all bands is improved by the matching network. The proposed antenna occupies a small size of 20 t20n mm2 and can be easily printed on a 0.8-mm-thick FR4 substrate of conventional dimensions of 20 t70nmm2, which makes it promising for wireless USB dongle applications.

This paper proposes a planar printed wideband antenna for eight-band LTE/GSM/UMTS WWAN wireless USB dongle applications. An inductive shorted strip with a chip capacitor loaded is employed in order to improve the characteristics of small-size terminal antennas which usually have a narrow band over the LTE700/GSM850/900 (698-960 MHz) operation. While the desired upper band is mainly realized by the rectangular radiating patch, covering DCS1800/PCS1900/UMTS2100/LTE2300/2500 (1710-2690 MHz) band. Easily printed on a 0.8-mm thick FR4 dielectric substrate of size 20×70 mm², the proposed antenna structure occupies a compact size of 20×19 mm². Then the proposed design can be attached to laptop computer by the USB interface. Good radiation efficiency and antenna gain for frequencies over the desired operating bands is obtained. Detailed design considerations of the proposed antenna are described, and both experimental and simulation results are also presented and discussed. Published version

Summary Objective The focus of this study was to ascertain the factors associated with 2009 pandemic influenza H1N1 (pH1N1) infection during different phases of the epidemic. Methods In central Taiwan, 306 persons from households with schoolchildren were followed sequentially and serum samples were taken at three sampling time-points starting in the fall of 2008, shortly after influenza vaccination. Participants who seroconverted between two consecutive blood samplings were considered as having serological evidence of infection. A generalized estimation equation (GEE) with a logistic link to account for household correlations was applied to identify factors associated with pH1N1 infections during the pre-epidemic (April–June) and epidemic (September–October) periods. Results The results showed that receiving an inactivated seasonal influenza vaccine (ISIV) and having a hemagglutination inhibition assay (HI) titer of 40 or higher resulted in a significantly lower likelihood of pH1N1 infection during the pre-epidemic period only, for both children and adults (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.12–0.9). Having a previous infection by pH1N1 with a baseline titer of 20 or higher resulted in a significantly lower likelihood of infection by pH1N1 during the epidemic period (adjusted OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.02–0.16). Conclusions Our results provide the first serological evidence to suggest a protection effect from receiving an ISIV against pH1N1 infection only when the HI titer reaches 40 or higher during the pre-epidemic period. This study gives an important insight into the control and intervention measures required for preventing infections during future influenza epidemics.

At present, development of ground-coupled heat pump technology in China has entered the stage of large-scale project application from purely theoretical stage. The key question is how to apply theory to practice efficiently. However, there are still a large number of scholars who remain in the Researches on theoretical heat transfer of buried tube heat exchanger and theoretical soil thermal equilibrium. So it is essential to know the status of ground-coupled heat pump, the pressing issues and trends in the development process. This paper revealed the development status of ground-coupled heat pump, analyzed problems combining with engineering examples and predicted the development trend reasonably. The important issues are mass demonstration and promotion, which need reasonable solutions and proven technology.

To improve the lower leg impact performance of the vehicle bumper in the collision of vehicle to pedestrian, the finite element (FE) model of a vehicle front structure was developed, and correlated with the test results. The lower legform impactor FE model was used to investigate the performance of the vehicle bumper at different structure conditions. It was finally determined that vehicle to lower legform impact performance can be improved by reducing the energy absorbing foam stiffness and modifying the bumper bracket structure to enlarge the collapse space.

In recent years, the use of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has become widespread for the staging of lymphoma. In non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), the bone marrow (BM) involvement is a sign of extensive disease, and the iliac crest BM biopsy (BMB) is the established method for the detection of BM infiltration. However, iliac crest BMB is associated with a high rate of false-negative results. We assess the ability of FDG PET or PET/CT scan to ascertain the presence of BM involvement in aggressive and indolent NHL.The authors conducted a systematic MEDLINE search of articles published (last update, May 2010). Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of each study. A meta-analysis of the reported sensitivity and specificity of each study was performed.Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies had several design deficiencies. Pooled sensitivity and specificity for the detection of non-Hodgkin aggressive lymphoma were 0.74 (95% CI, 0.65-0.83) and 0.84 (95% CI, 0.80-0.89), respectively. Pooled sensitivity and specificity for the detection of non-Hodgkin indolent lymphoma were 0.46 (95% CI, 0.33-0.59) and 0.93 (95% CI, 0.88-0.98), respectively.The diagnostic accuracy of FDG PET or PET/CT scans was slightly higher but without significant statistical difference (P = 0.1507) in patients with non-Hodgkin aggressive lymphoma as compared with those with non-Hodgkin indolent lymphoma. The sensitivity to detect indolent lymphoma BM infiltration was low for FDG PET or PET/CT.

Objective To determine the optimal concentration of Resovist labeling for endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs) in vitro,and the tracer method for labeled EPCs with 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).Methods EPCs were isolated from human umbilical cord blood by density gradient centrifugation,and then cultured and identified.The EPCs were labeled with different concentrations(0,10,25,50,75 and 100 μg/ml) of Resovist,and the labeling efficiency,proliferation activity,migration and angiogenesis ability of the EPCs were determined,meanwhile the labeled cells were observed with 1.5T MRI in vitro.Results It was showed by Prussian blue staining that the labeling efficiency of EPCs increased along with the increase of Resovist concentrations,and was nearly 95% with 50μg/ml Resovist.Aggregation of high-density particles was observed by transmission electron microscopy.MTT test showed that the proliferation activity,migration and angiogenesis ability of EPCs were significantly inhibited by 75 and 100μg/ml Resovist,and the effect of 100μg/ml Resovist was more obvious than that of 75μg/ml Resovist(P < 0.05).1.5T MRI revealed that when the Resovist concentration was 10μg/ml,the labeled EPCs could be detected and showed low signal intensity in T2-weighted images which was significantly lower than that of control group(P < 0.01),and the signal differences were increased along with the Resovist concentrations.Conclusions EPCs may be easily and efficiently labeled by Resovist without any influence on the cellular biological properties.The labeled cells may be tracked by 1.5T MRI,and the optimal labeling concentration was at 25-50μg/ml.

There is a problem that the difficulty in text classification will increase when the number of classes increases, to which hierarchical structure is a viable solution. Well, a document’s hierarchical structure is usually maintained only by hand, which require substantial manpower to find the correct position of a document in the class hierarchy or to reconstruct the hierarchy. Constructing the hierarchical structure automatically by clustering the training samples can effectively reduce the cost of manual maintenance, and at the same time, it can avoid the conflict between the prior knowledge and the statistical properties of the sample set caused by artificial maintenance of the hierarchy.

This study aims to evaluate the inclinations of right and left sides the mandibular fossa in Asian population using computed tomography (CT) images and determine its effects according to the parameters of gender, age, and asymmetry. CT images of the heads of 198 Asian subjects [95 females aged 44.2 ± 20.7 years, range 11-88 years; and 103 males aged 44.5 ± 19.7 years, range 15-98 years] were selected. The following eight parameters characterizing the inclinations of the mandibular fossa were measured by medical imaging software: anterior and posterior inclinations on the left and right sides on a sagittal view, and medial and lateral inclinations on the left and right sides on a coronal view. The anterior inclination was significant steeper in males than in females on both the left and right sides. A moderate positive correlation was found between age and anterior inclinations on the left and right sides. None of the other parameters were significantly affected by age or gender. None of the parameters differed significantly between the right and left sides of the mandibular fossa in males, females, or all subjects. The anterior inclination of the mandibular fossa was affected by aging and gender becoming steeper in Asians males than females. Besides, there were no asymmetry in the right and left side inclinations of the mandibular fossa.

In the past 20 years, coal bed methane (CBM) surface well technology has made some progress in mining active areas in China, but it still remains at its experimental and study stage, and industrialized and large-scale development has not been achieved. The research of the key technologies, such as the distribution of surface wells, the identification and protection of the high-risk locations of casing damage, the optimization of well structure, and the security monitoring of surface drainage in mining active areas, is the key for CBM surface well development in mining active areas of China.

GaN nanorods were synthesized by magnetron sputtering and ammonification system, and the thickness of Tb intermediate layer was changed to study the effect on GaN nanorods. The resultant was tested by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The results show that the thickness of Tb layer has an evident effect on the modality, quality, and luminescence properties of GaN nanorods. PL spectra at room temperature show a very strong emission peak at 368 nm and a weak emission peak at 387 nm, and the intensities of the peak for the produced samples reach the maximum when Tb layer is 20 nm. Finally, the optimal thickness of 20 nm of Tb intermediate layer for synthesizing GaN nanostructures is achieved.

Hemorrhoids are very common in adults. The data regarding the incidence of high 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D: -glucose (FDG) uptake in hemorrhoids is incomplete. In this study, we evaluated FDG uptake in hemorrhoids and calculated the rate of high FDG uptake in these lesions.One hundred and seventy six subjects who undertook whole body FDG-PET for health screening examination were investigated retrospectively. All patients had colonoscopy and 156 subjects were found to have hemorrhoids and 20 had no hemorrhoids. Quantitative analysis of FDG uptake in the anal region was performed by calculating the maximum standard uptake value (SUV(max)).The SUV(max) ranged from 1.8 to 4.1 (2.8 ± 0.6) for normal subjects and ranged from 1.4 to 8.3 (2.9 ± 0.8) for patients with hemorrhoids. No statistical difference was noted between these two groups using a Student's t-tests. If the highest SUV(max), which was 4.1 in normal subjects, was used as a cutoff, 5.1% (8/156) hemorrhoid patients had a SUV(max) greater than 4.1.Hemorrhoids can be one possible cause of focal high FDG uptake in the rectum.

The late Middle Anisian Daonella fengshanensis sp. nov. from the upper part of the Lower Member of the Banna Formation near Jinya in northwestern Guangxi, southwestern China, represents the earliest appearance of Daonella in this region. With regard to stratigraphical occurrence as well as morphological features the new species is in a transitional position between Enteropleura and more derived species of Daonella. The new species is an early representative of the genus Daonella and regarded as phylogenetically being near the genus’ origin. It is characterised by a small posterior auricle similar to Enteropleura and flat-topped radial ribs resembling later species of Daonella. Its anterior shell sector is large. The shell sculpture of juvenile stages closely resembles both Daonella and Enteropleura, supporting the hypothesis that Daonella may have evolved from Enteropleura.

To estimate the healthcare utilization and costs of major diabetes mellitus (DM)-related complications in Taiwan in the year of first occurrence and in subsequent years. This study is a retrospective claim database analysis using the longitudinal cohort of diabetes patients (LHDB) with 2012 as the base year. Occurrences of 8 DM-related complications of interest were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes. Annual healthcare costs and utilization of these DM-related complications in the LHDB cohorts of the years 2004 to 2009 were examined, and the generalized linear model was used to estimate annual total healthcare costs for each complication. DM patients with complications were more likely to have at least 1 emergency room (ER) visit and at least 1 hospitalization (both P

his study examines the extent to which not-for-profit (NFP) definitional criteria developedby Salamon and Anheier (1997) are includedin the annual report text of selected Australian NFPentities. Research on the Australian NFP sector isimportant not only because of the need to improvethe consistency and integrity of reporting, but alsodue to the substantial economic, political and socialimpact that this sector exerts (ABS 2002). The size ofthe sector, per capita, approximates that of the UnitedStates (US) (ABS 1999). The sector accounted for 6.8%ofAustralia’stotalemploymentinthe1999–2000period,representing over 604 000 workers (ABS 2002). Takinginto account imputed volunteer services, it represented4.7% of Australia’s GDP (amounting to $29.7 billion)in the same period (ABS 2002). Financial donations bythe general public to the sector in Australia have alsoincreased (Schmidt 2005). In 2005 there was a reported11% increase in total income, despite growth in thenumberofNFPsremainingstable(

Based on the theory of nonlinear dynamic finite element, the control equation of coal and water jet was acquired in the coal breaking process under a water jet. The calculation model of coal breaking under a water jet was established; the fluid-structure coupling of water jet and coal was implemented by penalty function and convection calculation. The dynamic process of coal breaking under a water jet was simulated and analyzed by combining the united fracture criteria of the maximum tensile strain and the maximal shear strain in the two cases of damage to coal and damage failure to coal.

The cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) is a membrane protein related to lipid metabolism. We show that HCV infection in vitro increased CD36 expression in either surface or soluble form. HCV attachment was facilitated through a direct interaction between CD36 and HCV E1 protein, causing enhanced entry and replication. The HCV co-receptor effect of CD36 was independent of that of SR-BI. CD36 monoclonal antibodies neutralized the effect of CD36 and reduced HCV replication. CD36 inhibitor sulfo-N-succinimidyl oleate (SSO), which directly bound CD36 but not SR-BI, significantly interrupted HCV entry, and therefore inhibited HCV replication. SSO’s antiviral effect was seen only in HCV but not in other viruses. SSO in combination with known anti-HCV drugs showed additional inhibition against HCV. SSO was considerably safe in mice. Conclusively, CD36 interacts with HCV E1 and might be a co-receptor specific for HCV entry; thus, CD36 could be a potential drug target against HCV.

Identification of renal graft candidates at high risk of impending acute rejection (AR) and graft loss may be helpful for patient-tailored immunosuppressive regimens and renal graft survival. To investigate the feasibility with soluble CD30 (sCD30) as predictor of AR, sCD30 levels of 70 patients were detected on day 0 pre-transplant and day 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 30 post-transplant. AR episodes in 6 months were recorded and then patients were divided into Group AR (n=11) and Group UC (n=59). Results showed that the patients had higher pre-transplant sCD30 levels than healthy people. A significant decrease of sCD30 was observed on the first day post-transplant and continued until day 14 post-transplant. Soluble CD30 presented a stable level from day 14 to 30 post-transplant. Pre-transplant sCD30 levels of Group AR were much higher than those of Group UC (P

Inducible gene expression is a gene regulatory mechanism central to plant response to environmental cues. The inducible genes are often repressed under normal growth conditions while their expression levels are significantly elevated by conditions such as abiotic stresses. Induction of gene expression requires both cis-acting DNA elements and trans-acting proteins that are modulated through signal transduction pathways. Here we report several molecular events that affect salt induced expression of the Arabidopsis AtSOT12 gene. Promoter deletion analysis revealed that DNA elements residing in the 5’ UTR are required for the salt induced expression of AtSOT12. Cytosine methylation in the promoter was low and salt stress slightly increased the DNA methylation level, suggesting that DNA methylation may not contribute to AtSOT12 gene repression. Co-transcriptional processing of AtSOT12 mRNA including capping and polyadenylation site selection was also affected by salt stress. The percentage of capped mRNA increased by salt treatment, and the polyadenylation sites were significantly different before and after exposure to salt stress. The expression level of AtSOT12 under normal growth conditions was markedly higher in the oxi1 mutant defective of ROS signaling than in the wild type. Moreover, AtSOT12 transcript level was elevated by treatments with DPI and DMTU, two chemicals preventing reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. These results suggest that repression of AtSOT12 expression may require physiological level of ROS and ROS signaling.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, inflammatory and self-limited vasculitis affecting infants and young children. Coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) formation is the major complication of KD and the leading cause of acquired cardiovascular disease among children. To identify susceptible loci that might predispose patients with KD to CAA formation, a genome-wide association screen was performed in a Taiwanese KD cohort. Patients with both KD and CAA had longer fever duration and delayed intravenous immunoglobulin treatment time. After adjusting for these factors, 100 susceptibility loci were identified. Four genes were identified from a single cluster of 35 using the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) Knowledge Base. Silencing KCNQ5, PLCB1, PLCB4 and PLCL1 inhibited the effect of lipopolysaccharide-induced endothelial cell inflammation with varying degrees of proinflammatory cytokine expression. PLCB1 showed the most significant inhibition. Endothelial cell inflammation was also inhibited by using a phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor. The single nucleotide polymorphism rs6140791 was identified between PLCB4 and PLCB1. Plasma PLC levels were higher in patients with KD and CC+CG rs6140791genotypes and these genotypes were more prevalent in patients with KD who also had CAA. Our results suggest that polymorphism of the PLCB4/B1 genes might be involved in the CAA pathogenesis of KD.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, This study aimed to compare the clinical effects of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and routine therapy in heatshock (HS) patients. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical information of 33 severe exertional HS patients who were treated from February 1998 to October 2013. On the basis of whether or not CRRT therapy was used in addition to conventional therapy, patients were divided into a CRRT group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 18). Body temperature, blood gas analysis, routine blood tests, blood eletrolytes, enzymes and kidney function data, and APACHE II scores were obtained and compared between the 2 groups on admission and 3, 5, and 7 days after admission. Mortality was also compared between the 2 groups. CRRT treatment combined with conventional treatment resulted in a higher hospital-discharge rate, a faster return to normal of body temperature, greater increase in platelets, a greater decrease in WBC, neutrophils, and serum markers for liver and kidney dysfunction, greater improvement of organ dysfunction, and lower APACHE II scores than conventional treatment used alone. The addition of CRRT to conventional treatment for HS improves survival and causes a faster return to normal of serum markers and organ function.

Pollen deposition on stigmas and pollen tube growth in two apocarpous species, Ranalisma rostratum and Sagittaria guyanensis ssp. lappula (Alismataceae), were examined with fluorescence microscopy. The reallocation of pollen tubes among pistils was observed in both species. The percentage of pollinated stigmas per flower was only 22.0% in R. rostratum and 51.0% in S. guyanensis, though the seed/ovule ratios are higher than 65% in both species. The number of pollen grains on each single stigma ranged from 0 to 96 in R. rostratum, and from 0 to 125 in S. guyanensis. When more than one pollen grain deposited on a stigma, all pollen tubes grew to the ovary, but only one of them turned towards the ovule and finally entered the nucleus. The other tubes grew through the receptacle tissue into ovules of adjacent carpels whose stigmas were unpollinated or pollinated later. The intercarpellary growth of pollen tubes could be a mechanism to increase the efficiency of sexual reproduction in an apocarpous gynoecium with low pollination on the pistils.

The study of urban outdoor thermal environment was carried out in one of the mountainous cities by using geography information system(GIS) technique which is connected with predicting and evaluating models for the outdoor thermal environment, monitoring data and simulating data. A prediction and evaluation system were set up. A typical mountainous city, i.e., Yunyang city in Chongqing in China, was taken as an example, its urbanization trend and population growth was predicted and evaluated. The heat island intensity and its trend were simulated, the temperature field, velocity field and the humidity field were analyzed. The results show that GIS is an effective tool to deal with the outdoor thermal environment, especially for the mountainous cities with special geographical particularities. GIS can be used in the environmental management and the city planning especially for the mountainous cities.

The oyster-like, dimyarian, cementing bivalve genus Protostrea CHEN in GU et al., 1976 and its type species Protostrea sinensis (Hsu in Hsu & CHEN, 1943) from the upper Anisian (Middle Triassic) of the Qingyan Formation, Guizhou Province, south-western China, are re-described and emended. The genus Most probably is the earliest representative of the family Dimyidae. But Protostrea is a peculiar dimyid because in adult growth stages its shell is fairly large and thick, the resilifer is rectangular, broad, shallow and sometimes multiple, and the crura usually are weak. These features resemble some thick-shelled Prospondylidae. The features of pre-adult growth stages of P. sinensis indicate possible affinities to the order Pectinoida.

The Lower Triassic Hong Ngai Formation crops out in Ha Giang Province, North Vietnam. The lowermost part of this formation is composed of calcareous hummocky cross-stratified sandy mudstone, calcareous mudstone, and marlstone, and is interpreted to have accumulated in a deep ramp environment. Pteria ussurica, Towapteria scythica, Claraia wangi, Eumorphotis teilhardi, and Promyalina sp. are found in these sediments, and indicate parautochthonous occurrences.In Huangzishan, Zhejiang Province, South China, the lower part of the Yinkeng Formation consisting of marlstone and calcareous mudstone yields Lower Triassic bivalves, such as Pteria ussurica variabilis, T. scythica, C. wangi, Claraia sp., Eumorphotis sp., and Promyalina sp., although basal parts yield Permian fossils. Besides, in the Meishan section (GSSP of P-T boundary), Zhejiang Province, the lower part of the Yinkeng Formation is predominated by basin mudstone containing abundant parautochthonous and allochthonous Claraia wangi. C. wangi probably widely inhabits basin to storm-dominated shallow marine environments. T. scythica and most species of Eumorphotis are characteristic bivalves in the Lower Triassic shallow marine environments above the storm wave base.

The Middle Triassic (Anisian) Leidapo Member of the Qingyan Formation, which crops out in southwestern China, consists of basin-floor and slope deposits with abundant benthic fossils and records two transgressions and one regression. The well-preserved bivalves are grouped into four assemblages. The allochthonous Cassianella – Elegantinia and Protostrea – Cassianella assemblages as well as the autochthonous Palaeonucula assemblage are found in slope deposits. The allochthonous assemblages exhibit several modes of occurrence in sediment gravity-flow deposits. The parautochthonous Posidonia assemblage is preserved in slope and basin deposits. The genus-level compositions of these bivalve assemblages are similar to those from the Early Carnian of Tethyan Europe. It is probable that a significant diversification of bivalves took place in the Anisian.

The Middle Triassic (Anisian) Yuqing Member of the Qingyan Formation crops out in Guizhou Province, southwestern China, and consists of storm-dominated inner and outer shelf deposits. It contains Tethyan benthic fossils that are grouped into two fossil assemblages. The allochthonous Mentzelia multi-costata-Mentzelia mentzeli assemblage is characterized by brachiopods in the inner shelf facies. The parautochthonous and allochthonous Posidonia wengensis assemblages, composed mainly of epifaunal bivalves, dominate in the inner and outer shelf facies, although some species of Posidonia generally are characteristic of deep-sea environments or low-oxygen conditions.

ObjectiveStudies on the risk of acute pancreatitis in patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) are limited. We evaluated the effects of pSS on the risk of acute pancreatitis in a nationwide, population-based cohort in Taiwan.Study designPopulation-based retrospective cohort study.SettingWe studied the claims data of the >97% Taiwan population from 2002 to 2012.ParticipantsWe identified 9468 patients with pSS by using the catastrophic illness registry of the National Health Insurance Database in Taiwan. We also selected 37 872 controls that were randomly frequency matched by age (in 5 year bands), sex and index year from the general population.Primary outcome measureWe analysed the risk of acute pancreatitis by using Cox proportional hazards regression models including sex, age and comorbidities.ResultsFrom 23.74 million people in the cohort, 9468 patients with pSS (87% women, mean age=55.6 years) and 37 872 controls were followed-up for 4.64 and 4.74 years, respectively. A total of 44 cases of acute pancreatitis were identified in the pSS cohort versus 105 cases in the non-pSS cohort. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the incidence rate of acute pancreatitis was significantly higher in the pSS cohort than in the non-pSS cohort (adjusted HR (aHR) 1.48, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.12). Cyclophosphamide use increased the risk of acute pancreatitis (aHR 5.27, 95% CI 1.16 to 23.86). By contrast, hydroxychloroquine reduced the risk of acute pancreatitis (aHR 0.23, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.55).ConclusionThis nationwide, retrospective cohort study demonstrated that the risk of acute pancreatitis was significantly higher in patients with pSS than in the general population.

This study reviews our recent experience with deep neck infections in order to propose recommendations in selecting presumptive antibiotics according to imaging characteristics and identifying predisposing factors of life-threatening complications.The records of 161 patients treated for deep neck infections at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, China Medical University Hospital from 2002 to 2012 were reviewed retrospectively. The demographic data, comorbidities, source of infections, complications, duration of hospital stay, imaging characteristics, and bacteriologic studies were evaluated. The involved neck space was determined by computed tomography (CT) scan with contrast. Complications included mortality and life-threatening conditions.The most common cause of deep neck infections in our study was odontogenic infection (20.5%), followed by pharyngo-tonsillitis (18.6%), and lymphadenitis (10.5%). The most commonly involved neck space was the submandibular space (40.9%), followed by the carotid space (37.2%), and the para-pharyngeal space (33.5%). Gas formation was detected in 31 (19.3%) cases. Infections of the different neck spaces and patients with gas formation noted on CT scan showed a specific distribution of common microorganisms. Streptococcus spp. was the most common pathogen in submandibular/sublingual space infections. Klebsiella pneumoniae infection accounted for 53.1% of peri-tonsillar/para-pharyngeal space infections, and 40% of carotid space infections. When gas formation was noted on CT imaging, anaerobic infection was the most common pathogen. Chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus (DM), multiple space infection, and gas formation present on CT scan were independent predictors of complications (p0.05).The imaging characteristics and microbiology of patients with deep neck infections are correlated and can facilitate the optimal selection of antibiotics. We can administer more precise presumptive antibiotics according to the identified involved neck space on CT scan. Patients with predisposing factors of life-threatening complications require early aggressive multi-disciplinary management to prevent severe sequelae.

It remains unclear whether long-term daily icodextrin use can decrease technique failure and improve survival in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether icodextrin use, once daily, can decrease technique failure and prolong patient survival in incident PD patients.Incident PD patients who survived more than 90 days were recruited from the China Medical University Hospital, Taiwan, between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2011. All patients were followed until transfer to haemodialysis (HD), renal transplantation, transfer to another centre, death, or 31 December 2011.A total of 306 incident PD patients (89 icodextrin users, 217 icodextrin non-users) were recruited during the study period. Icodextrin users were more likely to have hypertension, diabetes and high or high-average peritoneal transport compared with non-users. During the follow-up period, 43 patients were transferred to HD: seven (7.87%) of the icodextrin group, and 36 (16.59%) of the non-icodextrin group. Thirty-two patients died during the follow-up period: five (5.62%) of the icodextrin group, and 27 (12.44%) of the non-icodextrin group. Icodextrin use was significantly associated with a better prognosis, in terms of technique failure (adjusted HR = 0.32; 95% CI = 0.14-0.72). With regard to patient survival, icodextrin use (adjusted HR = 0.33; 95% CI = 0.12-0.87) was associated with a significantly lower risk of death.The use of icodextrin once daily may decrease technique failure and improve survival in incident PD patients.

Background Patients with Kawasaki disease (KD), a pediatric systemic vasculitis, may develop coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) as a complication. To investigate the role of glutamate receptors in KD and its CAA development, we performed genetic association studies. Methods and results We examined the whole family of glutamate receptors by genetic association studies in a Taiwanese cohort of 262 KD patients. We identified glutamate receptor ionotropic, kainate 1 (GRIK1) as a novel susceptibility locus associated with CAA formation in KD. Statistically significant differences were noted for factors like fever duration, 1st Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) used time (number of days after the first day of fever) and the GRIK1 (rs466013, rs425507, and rs38700) genetic variants. This significant association persisted even after using multivariate regression analysis (Full model: for rs466013: odds ratio =2.12; 95% CI =1.22-3.65; for rs425507: odds ratio =2.16; 95% CI =1.26-3.76; for rs388700: odds ratio =2.16; 95% CI =1.26-3.76). Conclusions We demonstrated that GRIK1 polymorphisms are associated CAA formation in KD, even when adjusted for fever duration and IVIG used time, and may also serve as a genetic marker for the CAA formation in KD. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2045-3701-4-67) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute and systemic vasculitis. Its complications in coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) make KD one of the leading causes of acquired cardiovascular diseases in childhood. Low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1B (LRP1B) is abundantly expressed in the medial layer of coronary arteries and involved in endothelium inflammations. Purpose: We aimed to identify the role of LRP1B in CAA formation during KD progression. Methods: we investigated genetic variations in LRP1B in a Taiwanese cohort of 258 KD patients (83 with CAA and 175 without CAA complications). We used univariate and multivariate regression analyses to identify the associations between LRP1B genetic variations and KD patients. Results: CAA formation in KD was significantly associated with the LRP1B (rs6707826) genetic variant (p = 0.007). By using multivariate regression analysis, significant correlations were observed between KD with CAA complications and the presence of the TT+TG genotypes for the LRP1B rs6707826 single-nucleotide polymorphism (full model: odds ratio = 2.82; 95% CI = 1.33–5.78). Conclusion: Our results suggest that genetic polymorphism of LRP1B gene may be used as a genetic marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of the CAA formation in KD and contribute to genetic profiling studies for personalized medicine.