An Improved Instance Segmentation Method for Fast Assessment of Damaged Buildings Based on Post-Earthquake UAV Images.

Quickly and accurately assessing the damage level of buildings is a challenging task for post-disaster emergency response. Most of the existing research mainly adopts semantic segmentation and object detection methods, which have yielded good results. However, for high-resolution Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery, these methods may result in the problem of various damage categories within a building and fail to accurately extract building edges, thus hindering post-disaster rescue and fine-grained assessment. To address this issue, we proposed an improved instance segmentation model that enhances classification accuracy by incorporating a Mixed Local Channel Attention (MLCA) mechanism in the backbone and improving small object segmentation accuracy by refining the Neck part. The method was tested on the Yangbi earthquake UVA images. The experimental results indicated that the modified model outperformed the original model by 1.07% and 1.11% in the two mean Average Precision (mAP) evaluation metrics, mAPbbox50 and mAPseg50, respectively. Importantly, the classification accuracy of the intact category was improved by 2.73% and 2.73%, respectively, while the collapse category saw an improvement of 2.58% and 2.14%. In addition, the proposed method was also compared with state-of-the-art instance segmentation models, e.g., Mask-R-CNN and YOLO V9-Seg. The results demonstrated that the proposed model exhibits advantages in both accuracy and efficiency. Specifically, the efficiency of the proposed model is three times faster than other models with similar accuracy. The proposed method can provide a valuable solution for fine-grained building damage evaluation.

Chemical and biosynthetic potential of Penicillium shentong XL-F41.

Penicillium strains are renowned for producing diverse secondary metabolites with unique structures and promising bioactivities. Our chemical investigations, accompanied by fermentation media optimization, of a newly isolated fungus, Penicillium shentong XL-F41, led to the isolation of twelve compounds. Among these are two novel indole terpene alkaloids, shentonins A and B (1 and 2), and a new fatty acid 3. Shentonin A (1) is distinguished by an unusual methyl modification at the oxygen atom of the typical succinimide ring, a feature not seen in the structurally similar brocaeloid D. Additionally, shentonin A (1) exhibits a cis relationship between H-3 and H-4, as opposed to the trans configuration in brocaeloid D, suggesting a divergent enzymatic ring-expansion process in their respective fungi. Both shentonins A (1) and B (2) also feature a reduction of a carbonyl to a hydroxy group within the succinimide ring. All isolated compounds were subjected to antimicrobial evaluations, and compound 12 was found to have moderate inhibitory activity against Candia albicans. Moreover, genome sequencing of Penicillium shentong XL-F41 uncovered abundant silent biosynthetic gene clusters, indicating the need for future efforts to activate these clusters and unlock the full chemical potential of the fungus.

Diversity of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in Shandong, China.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is one of the most economically significant pathogens in swine industry of China. To study infection and genetic variation of PRRSV, 637 tissue samples were collected from diseased pigs in Shandong, and then subjected to detection of PRRSV. The nsp2 and ORF5 genes were sequenced for investigation of variations and phylogenetic analysis. The results showed that positive rate of PRRSV was 9.58% in the collected samples. Phylogenetic analysis of GP5 showed that these strains were clustered into two lineages (1 and 8) indicating different genotypes of PRRSV were circulating in Shandong province. Meanwhile, sequence analysis Of nsp2 showed that the PRRSV strains with 30 amino acids deletions were dominant. Moreover, novel pattern of recombination/deletion and insertion in nsp2 was observed in these strains, indicating that novel PRRSV strains with different patterns of deletions or insertions in nsp2 are emerging in China. All the results suggested that continuous surveillance of PRRSV in China is warranted. Keywords: PRRSV; GP5; nsp2; genetic analysis; Shandong.

Multiplexable high-temperature stable and low-loss intrinsic Fabry-Perot in-fiber sensors through nanograting engineering.

This paper presents a method of using femtosecond laser inscribed nanograting as low-loss- and high-temperature-stable in-fiber reflectors. By introducing a pair of nanograting inside the core of a single-mode optical fiber, an intrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer can be created for high-temperature sensing applications. The morphology of the nanograting inscribed in fiber cores was engineered by tuning the fabrication conditions to achieve a high fringe visibility of 0.49 and low insertion loss of 0.002 dB per sensor. Using a white light interferometry demodulation algorithm, we demonstrate the temperature sensitivity, cross-talk, and spatial multiplexability of sensor arrays. Both the sensor performance and stability were studied from room temperature to 1000°C with cyclic heating and cooling. Our results demonstrate a femtosecond direct laser writing technique capable of producing highly multiplexable in-fiber intrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer sensor devices with high fringe contrast, high sensitivity, and low-loss for application in harsh environmental conditions.

Point-of-Care Tissue Analysis Using Miniature Mass Spectrometer.

The combination of direct sampling ionization and miniature mass spectrometer presents a promising technical pathway of point-of-care analysis in clinical applications. In this work, a miniature mass spectrometry system was used for analysis of tissue samples. Direct tissue sampling coupled with extraction spray ionization was used with a home-built miniature mass spectrometer, Mini 12. Lipid species in tissue samples were well profiled in rat brain, kidney, and liver in a couple of minutes. By incorporating a photochemical (Paternò-Büchi) reaction, fast identification of lipid C═C location was realized. Relative quantitation of the lipid C═C isomer was performed by calculating the intensity ratio C═C diagnostic product ions, by which FA 18:1 (Δ9)/FA 18:1 (Δ11) was found to change significantly in mouse cancerous breast tissue samples. Accumulation of 2-hydroxylglutarate in human glioma samples, not in normal brains, can also be easily identified for rapid diagnosis.

miR-155 Regulates Glioma Cells Invasion and Chemosensitivity by p38 Isforms In Vitro.

The critical role of microRNAs in cancer development has been extensively described. miRNAs are both specific markers and putative therapy targets. miR-155 has been identified to be an oncomiRNA and is highly expressed in several solid cancers, including glioblastoma. In this study, we found that miR-155 is a good potential therapy target. Knockdown of miR-155 sensitizes glioma cells to the chemotherapy of temozolomide (TMZ) by targeting the p38 isoforms mitogen-activated protein kinase 13 [MAPK13, also known as p38 MAPKδ or stress-activated protein kinase 4 (SAPK4)] and MAPK14 (also known as p38 MAPKα). As tumor suppressor genes, MAPK13 and MAPK14 play important roles in lowering the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), inducing cell apoptosis, and slowing the progression of cancer. Knockdown of miR-155 enhanced the anticancer effect of TMZ on glioma by targeting the MAPK13 and MAPK14-mediated oxidative stress and apoptosis, but did not affect the secretion of MMP2 and MMP9.

Upregulation of miR-132 expression in glioma and its clinical significance.

miR-132 was found to be overexpressed in glioma; however, its clinical significance has not been investigated. In the present study, we evaluated the association between miR-132 and clinicopathological parameters and prognosis. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to analyze the expression of miR-132 in 113 cases of glioma and 36 cases of normal brain tissues. The association of miR-132 expression with clinicopathological factors and prognosis of glioma patients were analyzed. The expression levels of miR-132 were significantly higher in glioma tissues than that in normal brain tissues (mean ± SD, 4.448 ± 1.857 vs. 1.936 ± 0.543; P < 0.001). The miR-132 expression level was classified as high or low in relation to the median value. High expression of miR-132 was found to significantly correlate with KPS score (P = 0.001); extent of resection (P = 0.009), and WHO grade (P < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis with the log-rank test indicated that high miR-132 expression had a significant impact on overall survival (17.3 vs. 56.2 %; P = 0.04) and progression-free survival (11.7 vs. 50.5 %; P = 0.012). In conclusion, this study identified high miR-132 expression as a biomarker of poor prognosis in patients diagnosed with glioma.

High-dose opioids in advanced cancer: use factors-retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate factors associated with high-dose opioid use in patients with advanced cancer and examine the effect of high-dose opioid use on patients' survival. METHODS: This study retrospectively searched the medical records of 416 patients with advanced cancer in a home-based hospice in central China. Age, sex, type of cancer, type of pain, the maximum oral morphine equivalent daily dose, type of opioid, preadmission oral morphine equivalent daily dose, lung cancer or not, bone metastases, opioid switch and survival time were assessed. RESULTS: There were 416 subjects included from the 455 eligible participants (91.4%). 80 patients (19.2%) received high-dose opioids at home. Male (OR 2.471; 95% CI 1.054 to 5.792; p=0.037), preadmission morphine equivalent daily dose (OR 1.022; 95% CI 1.016 to 1.028; p=0.000) and the use of morphine at maximum morphine equivalent daily dose (OR 5.123; 95% CI 1.249 to 21.014; p=0.023) were positively predicted high-dose opioid use. No difference in survival was found when comparing the high-dose and very high-dose opioid use groups. CONCLUSIONS: Male home-based patients with advanced cancer who use morphine and have greater preadmission opioid doses should be aware of the necessity for high-dose opioid use. Regulated opioid use in adequate amounts does not shorten survival.

Advanced perspectives on MXene composite nanomaterials: Types synthetic methods, thermal energy utilization and 3D-printed techniques.

MXene, 2D material, can be synthesized as single flake with 1 nm thickness by using phase change material, polymer and graphene oxide. Meanwhile, the MXene and its composite derivative materials have been applied widely in electro-to-thermal conversion, photo-to-thermal conversion, thermal energy storage, and 3D printing ink aspects. Furthermore, the forward-looking utilization of the MXene nanomaterials in hydrogen energy storage, radio frequency field application, CO2 capture and remediation of environmental pollution, is explored. This article reveals that the efficiencies of the photo-to-thermal and electro-to-thermal energy conversions with the MXene nanomaterials could reach about 80-90%. In parallel, it is demonstrated that the MXene printed ink has the excellent rheological property and high viscosity and stability of liquid, which contribute to arranging the multi-dimensional architectures with functional materials and controlling the flow rate of the MXene ink in the range of 0.03-0.15 mL/min for speedily printing and various printing structures.

Recent advances of activation techniques-based discovery of new compounds from marine fungi.

Natural products have been playing an indispensable role in drug discovery. However, it seems that the golden period of discovering new compounds has passed since the first antibiotic-penicillin. With the development of genome sequencing, it has been found that marine fungi contain various biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), which are silent under standard laboratory conditions. Therefore, it might be envisioned that once these BGCs are expressed, a large quantity of new secondary metabolites with biological activities could be generated. This paper reviewed several activation techniques implemented from 2020 to 2022, including epigenetics regulation, co-culture, precursor feeding, heterologous expression, and changing fermentation parameters to activate silent BGCs of marine fungi. We also described the diversity and bioactivities of these newly discovered uncommon marine fungi-derived compounds based on the classification of activation techniques, facilitating research groups focusing on natural products to enhance discovering efficiency.

Acupuncture for migraine prophylaxis: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is commonly used to treat migraine. We assessed the efficacy of acupuncture at migraine-specific acupuncture points compared with other acupuncture points and sham acupuncture. METHODS: We performed a multicentre, single-blind randomized controlled trial. In total, 480 patients with migraine were randomly assigned to one of four groups (Shaoyang-specific acupuncture, Shaoyang-nonspecific acupuncture, Yangming-specific acupuncture or sham acupuncture [control]). All groups received 20 treatments, which included electrical stimulation, over a period of four weeks. The primary outcome was the number of days with a migraine experienced during weeks 5-8 after randomization. Our secondary outcomes included the frequency of migraine attack, migraine intensity and migraine-specific quality of life. RESULTS: Compared with patients in the control group, patients in the acupuncture groups reported fewer days with a migraine during weeks 5-8, however the differences between treatments were not significant (p > 0.05). There was a significant reduction in the number of days with a migraine during weeks 13-16 in all acupuncture groups compared with control (Shaoyang-specific acupuncture v. control: difference -1.06 [95% confidence interval (CI) -1.77 to -0.5], p = 0.003; Shaoyang-nonspecific acupuncture v. control: difference -1.22 [95% CI -1.92 to -0.52], p < 0.001; Yangming-specific acupuncture v. control: difference -0.91 [95% CI -1.61 to -0.21], p = 0.011). We found that there was a significant, but not clinically relevant, benefit for almost all secondary outcomes in the three acupuncture groups compared with the control group. We found no relevant differences between the three acupuncture groups. INTERPRETATION: Acupuncture tested appeared to have a clinically minor effect on migraine prophylaxis compared with sham acupuncture. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00599586.

How does China's industrial wastewater shadow price evolve? The perspective of spatiotemporal characteristics and differences decomposition.

To provide a reference for reducing the cost of industrial wastewater treatment and alleviate the pressure on water environment governance in China, we use the non-parametric dual evaluation linear analysis framework to estimate the shadow price of China's urban industrial wastewater (IWSP) with consideration of multiple inputs based on the data of 267 cities in China from 2003 to 2016. Then, we investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics of IWSP and analyze its sources of differences. Main conclusions are as follows: (1) Mean of China's urban IWSP increased from 645.54 yuan/ton in 2003 to 5662.64 yuan/ton in 2016, implicating the significant results and increasing difficulty of emission reduction policies. In addition, the Moran's I index of IWSP decreased from 0.056 to 0.002, implicating declining spatial correlation and differentiated green production processes in various regions. (2) From stock perspective, the σ convergence result shows that the IWSP of the country and each region gradually diverges, and the ß convergence results from incremental perspective show that the IWSP of a single region tends to converge in a steady state. Furthermore, regions with lower average shadow prices converge faster than regions with higher average shadow prices. (3) Using the Dagum Gini coefficient method, we find that the overall difference of IWSP dropped from 0.5758 to 0.3568. The intra-regional differences in each region continued to decline, as well as inter-regional differences. And the contribution rate of intensity of transvariation has risen from 33.71 to 60.80%, becoming the main reason for the imbalanced distribution of IWSP.

Effects of Qidantang Granule on early stage of diabetic kidney disease in rats.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD), is one of the most common vascular diseases caused by diabetes, eventually progressing into glomerular sclerosis. Qidantang Granule is a traditional Chinese medicine that is commonly used for DKD. However, there is still no experimental evidence for its effectiveness on DKD. 8-week-old Sprague Dawley male rats were fed on high-fat and high-sugar diet for 4 weeks, and then intraperitoneally injected with 35 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) to induce diabetes. Diabetic rats were randomly divided into three groups, and orally administrated with vehicle, 50 mg/kg or 200 mg/kg Qidantang Granule respectively, once daily for 9 weeks. Qidantang Granule effectively reduced food and water intake, body weight and fasting blood glucose, decreased inflammation and oxidative stress, ameliorated renal injury through suppressing PI3K signaling pathway in STZ-induced DKD rats. Our results provide experimental evidence to demonstrate the pharmacological mechanism of Qidantang Granule in the treatment of DKD.

Lung cancer distress: screening thermometer meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The distress is associated with the life quality and prognosis of patients with lung cancer. Distress thermometer (DT) has been widely recommended for distress screening. This study was conducted to summarise the positive rate of distress in patients with lung cancer using DT screenings. METHODS: The PubMed, Embase, PsyclNFO and Cochrane Library databases were comprehensively searched to identify all eligible studies published before 31 December 2021. Studies were eligible if they were published in peer-reviewed literature and evaluated distress levels by DT. RESULTS: Ten eligible studies, including a total of 2111 patients, were included in this analysis, and their methodological quality was moderate. The pooled positive rate of distress in patients with lung cancer was 49.04% (95% CI 41.51% to 56.60%). The subgroup analysis revealed that the distress positive rate was significantly different (p<0.05) across North America, Europe and China with values of 53.33% (95% CI 45.22% to 61.37%), 43.81% (95% CI 31.57% to 56.43%) and 38.57% (95% CI 33.89% to 43.41%), respectively. Moreover, the distress positive rate was significantly different between men and women (p<0.05). Additionally, in terms of histological type, clinical tumour, node, metastasis stage, previous treatment and DT threshold, the distress positive rate had no significant differences. No significant publication bias was identified by Begg's funnel plot and Egger's test. CONCLUSIONS: The summarised distress positive rate was high and was significantly different according to gender and region. DT screening should be recommended for routine clinical practice and more attention should be given towards distress management.

The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers.

Background: As unprecedented and prolonged crisis, healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk of developing psychological disorders. We investigated the psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on HCWs. Methods: This cross-sectional study randomly recruited 439 HCWs in Hunan Cancer Hospital via a web-based sampling method from June 1st 2021 to March 31st 2022. Anxiety and depression levels were measured using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) was used to assess the presence and severity of PTSD. Fear was measured by modified scale of SARS. Data were collected based on these questionnaires. Differences in fear, anxiety, depression and PTSD among HCWs with different clinical characteristics were analyzed using a multivariate analysis of variance. The Cronbach's alpha scores in our samples were calculated to evaluate the internal consistency of HADS, fear scale and PCL-5. Results: The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and PTSD in HCWs was 15.7, 9.6, and 12.8%, respectively. Females and nurses were with higher fear level (P < 0.05) and higher PTSD levels (P < 0.05). Further analysis of female HCWs revealed that PTSD levels in the 35-59 years-old age group were higher than that in other groups; while married female HCWs were with increased fear than single HCWs. The internal consistency was good, with Cronbach's α = 0.88, 0.80 and 0.84 for HADS, fear scale, and PCL, respectively. Conclusion: Gender, marital status, and age are related to different level of psychological disorders in HCWs. Clinical supportive care should be implemented for specific group of HCWs.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and depression in cancer survivors: a meta-analysis.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on anxiety and depression in cancer survivors. The PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of CBT in cancer survivors were included. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was used as an effect size indicator. Fifteen studies were included. For the depression score, the pooled results of the random effects model were as follows: pre-treatment versus post-treatment, SMD (95% confidence interval [CI]) = 0.88 (0.46, 1.29), P < 0.001; pre-treatment versus 3-month follow-up, 0.83 (0.09, 1.76), P = 0.08; pre-treatment versus 6-month follow-up, 0.92 (0.27, 1.58), P = 0.006; and pre-treatment versus 12-month follow-up, 0.21 (- 0.28, 0.70), P = 0.40. For the anxiety score, the pooled results of the random effects model were as follows: pre-treatment versus post-treatment, 0.97 (0.58, 1.36), P < 0.001; pre-treatment versus 3-month follow-up, 1.45 (- 0.82, 3.72), P = 0.21; and pre-treatment versus 6-month follow-up, 1.00 (0.17, 1.83), P = 0.02). The pooled result of the fixed effects model for the comparison between pre-treatment and the 12-month follow-up was 0.10 (- 0.16, 0.35; P = 0.45). The subgroup analysis revealed that the geographical location, treatment time and treatment form were not sources of significant heterogeneity. CBT significantly improved the depression and anxiety scores of the cancer survivors; such improvement was maintained until the 6-month follow-up. These findings support recommendations for the use of CBT in survivors of cancer.

Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression and Anxiety, Response Rates and Adverse Events in Patients with Locoregional Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

PURPOSE: This retrospective study investigated the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on depression, anxiety, response rates, and adverse events in patients with locoregional advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: A total of 269 patients with diagnosis of stage III-IVA NPC received either CBT plus chemoradiotherapy (CBT group, n = 136) or treatment as usual (TAU) plus chemoradiotherapy (TAU group, n = 133). Patients in the CBT group received a series of 6 CBT sessions for 6 weeks during concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) score at baseline, the completion of radiotherapy, and 6, 12, and 24 months after radiotherapy. Response rates and adverse events were also evaluated. RESULTS: Patients in the CBT group showed significantly less depression and anxiety than patients in the TAU group after the completion of radiotherapy (P < .05). Complete response rates were 99.3% (135/136) and 92.5% (123/133) in the CBT group and TAU group with a small effect size (Phi coefficient = .171), respectively (P = .005). Compared with the TAU group, the CBT group showed a significantly lower incidence of acute adverse events and late toxic effects. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of CBT to chemoradiotherapy significantly reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms. CBT combined with chemoradiotherapy is associated with improved response rates, with reduced incidence of toxic effects in patients with locoregional advanced NPC. Based on this study, we registered a randomized controlled clinical trials to better define the role of CBT in patients with locoregional advanced NPC (Registration number: ChiCTR2000034701).

Bilateral functional asymmetry disparity in positive and negative schizophrenia revealed by resting-state fMRI.

Brain functional asymmetry abnormalities have previously been reported in schizophrenia. In the present study, we hypothesized that the pattern of functional asymmetry in schizophrenia may differ between patients suffering from positive and negative symptoms. We examined the relationship between altered asymmetry of functional connectivity and symptom type (positive/negative) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. We selected the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus and hippocampus as regions of interest, and analyzed functional connectivity patterns between these and other brain regions. Furthermore, a voxel-based two-level asymmetry analysis was conducted to investigate differences in the asymmetry of functional connectivity patterns within and between groups. Our results showed that patients exhibiting positive symptoms had significantly increased leftward asymmetry of functional connectivity. The negative symptom group, in contrast, exhibited increased rightward asymmetry of functional connectivity. The strength of the asymmetry in these regions was found to be significantly correlated with symptom ratings obtained using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. These results suggest that predominantly positive and predominantly negative schizophrenia may have different neural underpinnings, and that certain regions in the frontal and temporal lobes, as well as the cingulate gyrus and precuneus, play important roles in mediating the symptoms of this complex disease. Our study also provided further evidence for the hypothesis that schizophrenia is related to abnormalities in functional brain networks.

Psychological reactions and interventions to help Cancer patients cope during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

During COVID-19 pandemic, how can cancer patients adjust their psychological status? In this article, some questions and suggestions are given to share. I listed some of negative emotions could happen on cancer patients and showed their harm and gave suggestions accordingly, especially in how to keep cancer patients in a healthy attitude during the difficult time.

Acupuncture for treating acute attacks of migraine: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the results of a multicenter randomized controlled trial of the efficacy of verum acupuncture in treating acute migraine attacks. BACKGROUND: Acupuncture has been used in China for centuries to treat migraine headache. Convincing evidence of its efficacy in alleviating pain, however, has been inadequate to date. METHODS: A total of 218 patients with migraine were recruited for the study; 180 met the inclusion criteria; 175 completed the callback process and were randomized into 3 groups. One group received verum acupuncture while subjects in the other 2 groups were treated with sham acupuncture. Each patient received 1 session of treatment and was observed over a period of 24 hours. The main outcome measure was the differences in visual analog scale (VAS) scores before treatment and 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 hours after treatment. RESULTS: Significant decreases in VAS scores from baseline were observed in the fourth hour after treatment when VAS was measured in the patients who received either verum acupuncture or sham acupunctures (P < .05). The VAS scores in the fourth hour after treatment decreased by a median of 1.0 cm, 0.5 cm, and 0.1 cm in the verum acupuncture group, sham acupuncture group 1, and sham acupuncture group 2, respectively. Similarly, there was a significant difference in the change in VAS scores from baseline in the second hour after treatment among the 3 groups (P = .006). Moreover, at the second hour after treatment, only patients treated with verum acupuncture showed significant decreases in VAS scores from baseline by a median of 0.7 cm (P < .001). Significant differences were observed in pain relief, relapse, or aggravation within 24 hours after treatment as well as in the general evaluations among the 3 groups (P < .05). Most patients in the acupuncture group experienced complete pain relief (40.7%) and did not experience recurrence or intensification of pain (79.6%). CONCLUSION: Verum acupuncture treatment is more effective than sham acupuncture based on either Chinese or Western nonacupoints in reducing the discomfort of acute migraine. Verum acupuncture is also clearly effective in relieving pain and preventing migraine relapse or aggravation. These findings support the contention that there are specific physiological effects that distinguish genuine acupoints from nonacupoints.