Chinese Herbal Foot Bath plus Acupoint Massage Beneficial to the Improvement of Grade 0 Diabetic Foot

Objective: To observe the clinical effect of foot bath with Tao Hong Si Wu Tang plus massage on acupoints at the sole for grade 0 diabetic foot. Methods: One hundred and sixty eligible cases were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 80 cases in each group. The two groups were treated with routine basic medications to control blood sugar. The patients in the observation group were given foot bath with Tao Hong Si Wu Tang plus massage on acupoints at the sole, once every day. At the same time, the patients were instructed to understand the knowledge of diabetes, accept the education on foot care and to know the self-management for diabetes. The patients in the control group only accepted the education on foot care and studied the self-management for diabetes. The patients in the two groups were followed up once every week by phone. The local examination was intensified for the patients in their clinical visit every month. The therapeutic effects were assessed after three months of continuous treatment. Results: The total effective rate was 92.5% in the observation group, remarkably higher than 65.0% in the control group. The difference in comparison of the general therapeutic effect was statistically significant(P<0.01). Conclusion: Foot bath with Tao Hong Si Wu Tang plus massage on acupoints at the sole was beneficial to the improvement of clinical symptoms of grade 0 diabetic foot.

Distribution, features, and influence factors of the submarine topographic boundaries of the Okinawa Trough

Based on multiple types of data, the topographical features of the Okinawa Trough(OT) have been characterized and a computation method has been proposed to determine the break point of continental shelf(BOS), foot point of the continental slope(FOS), the central axial point, and the maximum depth point. A total of 48 topographical profiles that crosscut the continental slope have been used to determine the trends of the BOS and FOS(the BOS and FOS lines) in the East China Sea(ECS). The trend of central axial points in the OT has been similarly determined by analyzing 39 topographical profiles across the axis of the trough. The BOS line forms the boundary between the continental shelf and slope. In the ECS, the BOS line roughly follows the 200 m isobath, continuously in the northern and middle parts of the OT, but jumping about somewhat in the south. The FOS line is the boundary between the continental slope and the bottom of the trough. The depth of the FOS increases gradually from north to south in the OT. Intense incisions by canyons into the slope in the southern part of the trough have led to the complex distribution of FOS. Topographical profiles crosscutting the northern, middle, and southern parts of the OT exhibit features that include: a single W-shape, a composite W-shape, and a U-shape, respectively, which suggests that in the middle and northern parts of the trough the central axial points are always located on seamount peaks or ridges associated with linear seamounts, whereas in the south they are found in the center of en echelon depressions. The line formed by the central axial points is the east-west dividing line of the OT, which indicates that the trough is a natural gap that prevents the extension of ECS continental shelf to the east. The distributions of the BOS and FOS lines are influenced by fluctuation of sea levels and submarine canyons, whereas the distribution of axis lines is controlled by tectonics and deposition.