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Background: Far-infrared radiation (FIR) therapy improves vessel dilation, circulation, vessel endothelial function, and angiogenesis and reduces atherosclerosis. However, evidence of FIR therapy's effects on foot circulation among diabetic patients undergoing hemodialysis is scarce. Aim: To determine whether FIR therapy improves foot circulation in diabetic patients undergoing hemodialysis. Design: Quasi-experimental. Methods: In June to November 2017, diabetic patients undergoing hemodialysis (N = 58) at a hemodialysis center in northern Taiwan were divided into two groups: the experimental group (n = 31) received FIR therapy to the bilateral dorsalis pedis artery (40 min/session, 3 times/week for 6 months) and the control group (n = 27) received conventional dialysis care. Paired t test, independent samples t test, two-proportion Z test, and repeated-measures analysis of covariance were performed to compare changes from baseline to the end of the 6-month intervention between the groups. Results: Significant positive effects of FIR therapy on temperature, pulse, and blood flow of the dorsalis pedis artery were observed. Sensitivity to pain, tactility, and pressure also improved significantly in the experimental group. The Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire revealed that the experimental group had reductions in subjective experiences of soreness, tingling, and coldness in the feet. Conclusion: The findings of significant improvements to objective and subjective measures of blood flow and neural function in the experimental group indicate that FIR therapy improves blood circulation to the feet. This therapy thus has great potential to be an effective adjuvant treatment for patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing hemodialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aerosol in the Taipei basin is difficult to transport outward under specific weather patterns owing to complex terrain blocking. In this study, seven weather patterns are identified from synoptic weather maps for aerosol events, which occurred from March 2002 to February 2005. Among the identified weather patterns, High Pressure Peripheral Circulation (HPPC), Warm area Ahead of a cold Front (WAF), TYPhoon (TYP), Pacific High Pressure system stretching westerly (PHP), Weak High Pressure system (WHP), and Weak Southern Wind (WSW) are related to terrain blocking. The remaining pattern is High Pressure system Pushing (HPP). The classification of the pollution origin of the air masses shows that 15% of event days were contributed by long-range transport (LRT), 20% by local pollution (LP), and 65% by LRT/LP mix. Terrain blocking causes aerosol accumulation from high atmospheric stability and weak winds occurring under HPPC, TYP, and PHP weather patterns when the Taipei basin is situated on the lee side of the Snow Mountains Chain (SMC). Terrain blocking also occurs when the Taipei basin is situated on the upwind of SMC and Mt. Da-Twen under WAF and WSW patterns. To study the variation of aerosol properties under the mixed influence of terrain and pollution origin, we conducted a field observation simultaneously at the urban, suburban, and background sites in the Greater Taipei area from April 14 to 23, 2004. Terrain blocking plays an important role in aerosol accumulation in the stagnant environment when the Taipei basin is on the lee side of SMC. On the other hand, the PM2.5 sulfate level is stable with a fraction of 30% in PM2.5 during the observation period at the urban (25%−33%) and background (25%−41%) sites. It indicates that background PM2.5 sulfate is high on the West Pacific in winter. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is associated with the development of Kaposi's sarcoma and several other human malignancies. The prevalence of HHV-8 DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in Taiwanese leukemia populations has not been investigated. In this study, HHV-8 DNA was extracted from PBMCs, and detected in 10.29% of the leukemia cases and 8.94% of the relatives' cases. In addition, the prevalence of HHV-8 DNA in PBMCs was nonsignificantly associated with gender, age and leukemia subtypes. The study examines the prevalence of HHV-8 DNA in PBMCs in Taiwanese leukemia and can be applied in further epidemiological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]