Publications by authors named "S S-T Kao"

The mangrove ecosystems store a significant amount of "blue carbon" to mitigate global climate change, but also serve as hotspots for greenhouse gases (GHGs: CO, CH and NO) production. The CH and NO emissions offset mangrove carbon benefits, however, the extent of this effect remains inadequately quantified. By applying the 36 h time-series observations and mapping cruises, here we investigated the spatial and temporal distribution of GHGs and their fluxes in Dongzhaigang (DZG) bay, the largest mangrove ecosystem in China, at tidal and monthly scales.

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Accurate staging of nodal involvement in pediatric sarcoma patients is important to determine correct systemic and local therapy, with the goal to reduce subsequent recurrences. However, differences in lymph node staging strategies, definitions, and treatment protocols between the Children's Oncology Group (COG), European paediatric Soft tissue sarcoma Study Group (EpSSG), and the Cooperative Weichteilsarkom Studiengruppe (CWS) complicate comparisons. In this article, we aim to establish internationally recognized recommendations for lymph node assessment and treatment of children and adolescents diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcoma (NRSTS) according to the Consensus Conference Standard Operating Procedure methodology.

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Background: Rituximab pharmacokinetics in patients with membranous nephropathy (MN) exhibit significant interindividual variability. Accurate measurement of serum rituximab concentrations is essential for effective therapeutic monitoring. This study develops a highly sensitive time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA) for rituximab (rituximab-TRFIA) with a wide detection range, aimed at enhancing therapeutic drug monitoring in MN treatment.

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Background: Dietary protein adequacy is crucial for muscle health in aging individuals, posing a particular challenge for vegetarian seniors. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigates the impacts of protein-enriched lacto-vegetarian soup supplementation on body composition, physical performance and muscle strength functional assessment as well as cardiometabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in older adults.

Methods: We enrolled 100 participants ≥65 years at risk for malnutrition (MNA-SF ≤ 11) and at risk for sarcopenia (SARC-F ≥4 or SARC-CalF ≥11) in this RCT.

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Purpose: This study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate the effects of gymnastics programs with high versus low cognitive load on children's visuospatial working memory (VSWM) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) oxygenation.

Methods: Eighty-one healthy children aged 7 to 10 from Taipei City were randomly assigned to high cognitive load (HG), low cognitive load (LG), and control (SC) groups. The HG and LG groups underwent an 8-week gymnastics program with different levels of cognitive load, while the SC group participated in a static course.

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