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Far‐infrared radiation (FIR) has been investigated for reduction of pain and improvement of dermal blood flow. The FIRTECH patch is a medical device designed to re‐emit FIR radiated by the body. This phase 1 study was conducted to evaluate the local effects of the FIRTECH patch on local skin perfusion, microcirculation and oxygenation. This prospective, randomized, open‐label, parallel designed study admitted 20 healthy participants to a medical research facility for treatment for 31 h on three anatomical locations. During treatment, imaging assessments consisting of laser speckle contrast imaging, near‐infrared spectroscopy, side‐stream dark‐field microscopy, multispectral imaging and thermography were conducted regularly on patch‐treated skin and contralateral non‐treated skin. The primary endpoint was baseline perfusion increase during treatment on the upper back. Secondary endpoints included change in baseline perfusion, oxygen consumption and temperature of treated versus untreated areas. The primary endpoint was not statistically significantly different between treated and non‐treated areas. The secondary endpoints baseline perfusion on the forearm (least square means [LSMs] difference 2.63 PU, 95% CI: 0.97, 4.28), oxygen consumption (LSMs difference: 0.42 arbitrary units [AUs], 95% CI: 0.04, 0.81) and skin temperature (LSMs difference 0.35°C, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.6) were statistically significantly higher in treated areas. Adverse events observed during the study were mild and transient. The vascular response to the FIRTECH patch was short‐lived suggesting a non‐thermal vasodilatory effect of the patch. The FIRTECH patch was well tolerated, with mild and transient adverse events observed during the study. These results support the therapeutic potential of FIR in future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Published false positive research findings are a major problem in the process of scientific discovery. There is a high rate of lack of replication of results in clinical research in general, multiple sclerosis research being no exception. Our aim was to develop and implement a policy that reduces the probability of publishing false positive research findings. We have assessed the utility to work with a pre-publication validation policy after several years of research in the context of a large multiple sclerosis database. Methods The large database of the Sylvia Lawry Centre for Multiple Sclerosis Research was split in two parts: one for hypothesis generation and a validation part for confirmation of selected results. We present case studies from 5 finalized projects that have used the validation policy and results from a simulation study. Results In one project, the "relapse and disability" project as described in section II (example 3), findings could not be confirmed in the validation part of the database. The simulation study showed that the percentage of false positive findings can exceed 20% depending on variable selection. Conclusion We conclude that the validation policy has prevented the publication of at least one research finding that could not be validated in an independent data set (and probably would have been a "true" false-positive finding) over the past three years, and has led to improved data analysis, statistical programming, and selection of hypotheses. The advantages outweigh the lost statistical power inherent in the process.

Companies which offer ‘free-to-play’ video games have to optimize the in-game-shop in order to generate revenues. Price differentiation is one possibility to optimize the profitability of the game. For example, Fortnite—the most successful video game in terms of revenues—offers uniforms (skins) at four different prices. This attracts different segments of the market. The authors use a microeconomic approach in order to highlight the implications of price differentiation for the profit maximization problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A prospective, randomized, double-blind, multicenter, Phase III trial of incobotulinumtoxinA using new Food and Drug Administration endpoints., Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of a single dose of incobotulinumtoxinA for the treatment of glabellar frown lines., Materials and Methods: Two hundred seventy-one subjects with moderate to severe glabellar frown lines at maximum frown-as assessed by an investigator according to the facial wrinkle scale (FWS)-were randomized 2:1 to receive one treatment of 20 U of incobotulinumtoxinA or placebo, respectively, and assessed over 120 days. The primary efficacy variable was a composite endpoint consisting of patients who were 2-point or more responders at maximum frown on Day 30 according to the investigator's rating on the FWS, and 2-point or more responders at maximum frown on Day 30 according to the patient's assessment on a 4-point scale. Safety analyses were performed throughout the study., Results: IncobotulinumtoxinA was statistically significantly more efficacious than placebo using a new rigorous composite endpoint (p < .0001)., Conclusion: A single dose of 20 U of incobotulinumtoxinA is superior to placebo in the treatment of glabellar frown lines at Day 30 and is well-tolerated., (© 2013 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)