The goal of this randomized and controlled study was to examine whether whole-body vibration (WBV) training is able to reduce back pain and physical disability in seated working office employees with chronic low-back pain in a real-world setting. A total of 41 subjects (68.3% female/mean age 45.5±9.1 years/mean BMI 26.6±5.2) were randomly allocated to an intervention group (INT [n=21]) or a control group (CON [n=20]). The INT participated in WBV training 2.5 times per week for 3 months. The primary outcome was the change in the Roland and Morris disability questionnaire (RMQ) score over the study period. In addition, secondary outcomes included changes in the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the Work Ability Index Questionnaire, the quality of life questionnaire SF-36, the Freiburger activity questionnaire, and an isokinetic test of the musculature of the trunk. Compliance with the intervention in the INT reached a mean of 81.1%±31.2% with no long-lasting unwanted side effects. We found significant positive effects of 3 months of WBV training in the INT compared to the CON regarding the RMQ (P=.027), the ODI (P=.002), the SF-36 (P=.013), the Freiburger activity questionnaire (P=.022), the post-interventional sick-leave in the INT (P=.008), and trends regarding a positive effect of the intervention on the muscular capacity of the muscles of the trunk in flexion. WBV training seems to be an effective, safe, and suitable intervention for seated working employees with chronic low-back pain.

The study was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS 00006961). https://drks-neu.uniklinik-freiburg.de/drks_web/.

Within a year or so, the computer you purchased last month will probably be obsolete. For a manufacturer faced with such short product life‐cycles, the performance of the new product development (NPD) function can determine whether the firm itself is relegated to the scrap heap. With such a close link between NPD performance and a firm's overall success, we need to do more than simply ensure that individual projects are well managed; we need to assess NPD's overall contribution to the company's business performance. Christoph Loch, Lothar Stein, and Christian Terwiesch develop a two‐step model for measuring the performance of the NPD function. In this model, development output performance is the direct driver of business success. In other words, the output and the productivity of the NPD function directly affect a company's profitability and sales growth. Development output performance is driven by development process performance—that is, the operational management of development projects. Using data from the “Excellence in Electronics” project (a joint research effort of Stanford University, the University of Augsburg, and McKinsey & Co.), the two‐step model is applied to a sample of 95 business units operating in three international electronics industries: consumer/small products, computers/communications, and industrial measurement/large systems. This analysis has two main objectives: identifying the key measures of development output performance and their contribution to business success; and identifying the important measures of development process performance and their contributions to development output performance. Development productivity, measured by development expense intensity, is the clearest predictor of business success. In other words, you can't buy a competitive advantage by pouring more money into R&D. Success comes from more efficient NPD, not simply outspending the competition. In the computer industry, design‐to‐cost has a positive effect on profitability growth, and design quality has a positive influence on sales growth. The factors underlying development process performance are much more dependent on the nature of competition in each industry. For example, because competition in the large systems industry still focuses primarily on technical competence, design‐to‐cost efforts in this industry lag behind those of the computer industry. Important measures of development process performance for all industry segments examined in the study include supplier involvement in the design, early prototyping, a team‐based development organization, the use of team rewards, and value engineering.

Rationale The long-term effects of vigorous physical activity (PA) on lung function in cystic fibrosis are unclear. Objectives To evaluate effects of a 12-month partially supervised PA intervention using motivational feedback. Methods In a parallel-arm multicenter randomized controlled trial (ACTIVATE-CF), relatively inactive patients aged at least 12 years were randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to an intervention group or control group. The intervention group consented to add 3 hours of vigorous PA per week, whereas the control group was asked not to change their PA behavior. Primary endpoint was change in percent predicted FEV 1 (ΔFEV 1 ) at 6 months. Secondary endpoints included PA, exercise capacity, exercise motives, time to first exacerbation and exacerbation rates, quality of life, anxiety, depression, stress, and blood glucose control. Data were analyzed using mixed linear models. Measurements and Main Results A total of 117 patients (40% of target sample size) were randomized to an intervention (n = 60) or control group (n = 57). After 6 months, ΔFEV 1 was significantly higher in the control group compared with the intervention group (2.70% predicted [95% confidence interval, 0.13–5.26]; P = 0.04). The intervention group reported increased vigorous PA compared with the control group at each study visit, had higher exercise capacity at 6 and 12 months, and higher PA at 12 months. No effects were seen in other secondary outcomes. Conclusions ACTIVATE-CF increased vigorous PA and exercise capacity, with effects carried over for the subsequent 6 months, but resulted in better FEV 1 in the control group.

ObjectiveBack pain is a major problem requiring pragmatic interventions, low in costs for health care providers and feasible for individuals to perform. Our objective was to test the effectiveness of a low-dose 5-month exercise intervention with small personnel investment on low back strength and self-perceived pain.MethodsTwo hundred twenty-six employees (age: 42.7±10.2 years) from three mid-size companies were randomized to 5-month non-supervised training at home (3 times/week for 20 minutes) or wait-list-control. Health insurance professionals instructed the participants on trunk exercises at the start and then supervised participants once a month.ResultsMuscle strength for back extension increased after the 5-month intervention with a significant between-group difference (mean 27.4 Newton [95%CI 2.2; 60.3]) favoring the exercise group (p = 0.035). Low back pain was reduced more in subjects after exercise than control (mean difference –0.74 cm [95%CI –1.17; –0.27], p = 0.002). No between-group differences were observed for back pain related disability and work ability. After stratified analysis only subjects with preexisting chronic low back pain showed a between-group difference (exercise versus controls) after the intervention in their strength for back extension (mean 55.7 Newton [95%CI 2.8; 108.5], p = 0.039), self-perceived pain (mean –1.42 cm [95%CI –2.32; –0.51], p = 0.003) and work ability (mean 2.1 points [95%CI 0.2; 4.0], p = 0.032). Significant between-group differences were not observed in subjects without low back pain: strength for back extension (mean 23.4 Newton [95%CI –11.2; 58.1], p = 0.184), self-perceived pain (mean –0.48 cm [95%CI –0.99; 0.04], p = 0.067) and work ability (mean –0.1 points [95%CI –0.9; 0.9], p = 0.999). An interaction between low back pain subgroups and the study intervention (exercise versus control) was exclusively observed for the work ability index (p = 0.016).ConclusionIn middle-aged employees a low-dose, non-supervised exercise program implemented over 20 weeks improved trunk muscle strength and low back pain, and in those with preexisting chronic low back pain improved work ability.