Objective
  PUVA therapy (combination of 8-methoxypsoralen and UVA irradiation) is commonly applied for treatment of psoriasis, pustulosis palmaris et plantaris and atopic dermatitis among dermatologists. PUVA bath therapy (PUVA soak therapy) is an arranged method of topical PUVA therapy, irradiate UVA just after soaking bath with 8-methoxypsoralen aqueous solution. It's speculated to cause less carcinogenesis and less general side effects than oral or classical topical PUVA therapy. The local PUVA bath therapy is an applied method of PUVA bath therapy which uses a wash-basin to soak hands or feet. This time 7 patients were treated with this method.
Methods
  Prepared in a wash-basin 0.0001% 8-methoxypsoralen in 37-40°C water and soaked lesion area for 15 minutes and irradiate UVA immediately after soaking. The UVA-radiation was done once every week. Started with UVA-dose of 0.5J/cm² for all patients, and increase doses by 0.5J/cm² for each therapy up to maximum single UVA-dose of 2.5 or 3.0J/cm². 7 patients (age 41-76 years, 3 men and 4 women, 3 psoriasis vulgaris and 4 pustulosis palmaris et plantaris) treated with this therapy and total UVA-dose was ranging from 22.1to 63.5J/cm².
Results
  One patient dropped out. Among the the remaining six patients, one patient showed no improvement and one other patient showed improvement but was relapsed just after the end of treatment. Four patients showed improvement and one of them (pustulosis palmaris et plantaris) have kept good condition over two years after treatment.
Discussion
  Local PUVA bath therapy is good treatment because it can be done easily to ambulatory patients if a UVA-lump is available, and some patients gain long-term remission.

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  The purpose of this study was to clarify effects of foot bath at 42°C for 10 min on cerebral circulation and mental function in elderly persons. The subjects of this study were 12 elderly persons (average 83.1 years old). Tissue hemoglobin concentration and blood flow at the cerebral frontal cortex were measured using near-infrared spectroscopy and blood pressure and heart rate using an autonomic spygmomanometer during for each 10 minutes before foot bath, during foot bath, and after foot bath. We measured subject's arithmetic speed and mistaken numbers as mental function. During foot bath the blood flow and after foot bath oxyhemoglobin at frontal cortex were significantly increased. Heart rate was significant increased after foot bath. But deoxyhemoglobin and blood pressure did not changed during foot bath. In addition to arithmetic speed and mistaken numbers were same before and after foot bath. These findings suggest that cerebral circulation is changed by foot bath, but mental functions is not before and after foot bath.

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Purpose
  The purpose of this study is to clarify the impressions that elderly people requiring care have when exposed to a “rooftop forest-like field.”
Methods
Experimental sites : (1) The rooftop forest-like area: It covers an area of 122 m² on the 3rd story rooftop of a health service facility. It has 140 cm undulations, and a murmuring stream 7 m long and 58 cm deep flowing through the center. Fifty-one species of trees and 33 species of weeds, herbs, and grasses have been planted. Nearby is a mountain from which some birds come to the area. This mountain formed the background to this landscape. (2) The outdoor parking area: Control area was an area of 170 m² next to the same facility. Cars were prevented from entering during the study.
Subjects:The subjects were 30 females aged from 71 to 95 (mean ± SD: 81.7 ± 5.6). They were residents of the facility or attended to the facility for day care. They were divided into two groups, A and B, consisting of 15 females each. The groups were matched for age and cerebral vascular disorders (CVD). No patients with dementia were included. Experimental design : On the first day of The experiment, group A was sent to the rooftop forest-like area, and group B was sent to the open-air parking area. On the second day, each group went to the other area to eliminate the order effect. The subjective impression was measured using the semantic differential (SD) method. Patients sat still in a wheelchair and watched the scenery for 7 minutes and then answered the questionnaire.
Results and Discussion
  The rooftop forest-like field was perceived as a “beautiful,” “refreshing,” “orderly,” “enjoyable,” “comfortable” “secure,” “healthy,” “calm,” “soothing,” “friendly,” “quiet,” and a “holy” area. It was similar to the impression made by natural coniferous forests or natural rice fields. More than 80% of subjects expressed subjective relaxed state, as “most enjoyable,” “most comfortable,” and “most secure” as their impressions of the rooftop forest-like area. The impression of rooftop forest like area was characterized by high scores for both space and sensory factors using the SD method. Compared with previous reports, this forest-like area may have a relaxing effect on elderly people requiring care which is subjectively perceived.
Conclusion
  It was demonstrated that the rooftop forest-like field was perceived as a “comfortable”, “healthy”, and “relaxing” space by elderly people requiring care.

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Introduction
  The need for not only oriental herbal treatment but also acupuncture treatment in clinical oriental medicine has been increasing in recent years.
There is extremely little anatomical information, however, to assist in three-dimensionally understanding the tissues and structures in and around the acupoint or on the corresponding instruction methods.
  This is a report of the clinical anatomical instruction materials prepared by the author and colleagues.
Results
  Acupuncture pointing is based on the method in “Standard Meridian Points” edited by the Japan Acupoint Committee.
  When dissecting acupoints, a 1cm x 1cm section for each point was taken and photographed with a high-resolution digital camera to capture all five sides of the section to create a three-dimensional image structure as far as possible.
  Anatomical explanations are included for all image data and all image data has been transformed into digital contents to allow the images to be searched and viewed on a computer screen.
Conclusion
  In current acupuncture treatment and instruction there is extremely little anatomical information to assist in three-dimensionally understanding the tissues and stmctures in and around the acupoint or on the corresponding instmction methods.
  To study the acupoints frequently used clinically, a cadaver for anatomical dissection was used together with a surgical microscope to precisely dissect the structure of the acupoints and surrounding area. The safety measures and other precautions for doing this were also studied. The author and colleagues deem the creation of this database to be extremely significant for the advancement of clinical acupuncture medicine as well as for receiving informed consent from patients and therefore encourage its widespread use.

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