FOCUS ON TAIWAN

Abstract

Welcome to the final issue of Volume 20, one-fifth of a century of Laser Therapy! As this issue reaches you in hard copy form, the majority of readers will be in the middle of the holiday season, and either shivering or enjoying glorious sunshine, depending on your hemisphere. Wherever you are, on behalf of the entire Editorial team, may I wish you the happiest of holiday seasons and all the very best for the New Year, 2012, the Year of the Dragon in the Oriental 12-animal zodiac (although the Dragon doesn't officially take over from the Rabbit till January 23rd, Chinese New Year). This issue was set aside as the ‘Focus on Taiwan’ issue. There were originally 5 papers from Taiwan, but one non-light therapy paper was rejected and one carried over to 21:1, so this issue comprises 3 Taiwanese papers, two from Japan, and one each from Argentina and the UK. As I am sure you are all aware, the Year of the Rabbit was not a great year for Japan, what with the Great Earthquake and Tsunami in March from which we suffer continued fall-out and the not so occasional trembler. We must especially think, at this normally joyful time, of those who lost family and friends, their businesses and their homes, to which many have as yet been unable to return. Now, the spectre of radioactive contamination haunts us, with high levels of radioactive elements, especially cesium, in many different foodstuffs, including fish, dominating the daily news. The legacy for our younger Japanese children is not a cheery one, but with typical Japanese resilience, we will keep on fighting, with hope strong in our hearts for an eventual solution to all the problems which were thrust on us in March of this year.