A cluster-randomized trial of workplace ergonomics and neck-specific exercise versus ergonomics and health promotion for office workers to manage neck pain : a secondary outcome analysis

Background: Neck pain is prevalent among office workers. This study evaluated the impact of an ergonomic and exercise training (EET) intervention and an ergonomic and health promotion (EHP) intervention on neck pain intensity among the All Workers and a subgroup of Neck Pain cases at baseline. Methods: A 12-month cluster-randomized trial was conducted in 14 public and private organisations. Office workers aged ≥18 years working ≥30 h per week (n = 740) received an individualised workstation ergonomic intervention, followed by 1:1 allocation to the EET group (neck-specific exercise training), or the EHP group (health promotion) for 12 weeks. Neck pain intensity (scale: 0–9) was recorded at baseline, 12 weeks, and 12 months. Participants with data at these three time points were included for analysis (n = 367). Intervention group differences were analysed using generalized estimating equation models on an intention-to-treat basis and adjusted for potential confounders. Subgroup analysis was performed on neck cases reporting pain ≥3 at baseline (n = 96). Results: The EET group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in neck pain intensity at 12 weeks compared to the EHP group for All Workers (EET: β = − 0.53 points 95% CI: − 0.84– − 0.22 [36%] and EHP: β = − 0.17 points 95% CI: − 0.47–0.13 [10.5%], p-value = 0.02) and the Neck Cases (EET: β = − 2.32 points 95% CI: − 3.09– − 1.56 [53%] and EHP: β = − 1.75 points 95% CI: − 2.35– − 1.16 [36%], p = 0.04). Reductions in pain intensity were not maintained at 12 months with no between-group differences observed in All Workers (EET: β = − 0.18, 95% CI: − 0.53–0.16 and EHP: β = − 0.14 points 95% CI: − 0.49–0.21, p = 0.53) or Neck Cases, although in both groups an overall reduction was found (EET: β = − 1.61 points 95% CI: − 2.36– − 0.89 and EHP: β = − 1.9 points 95% CI: − 2.59– − 1.20, p = 0.26). Conclusion: EET was more effective than EHP in reducing neck pain intensity in All Workers and Neck Cases immediately following the intervention period (12 weeks) but not at 12 months, with changes at 12 weeks reaching clinically meaningful thresholds for the Neck Cases. Findings suggest the need for continuation of exercise to maintain benefits in the longer term. Clinical trial registration: hACTRN12612001154897 Date of Registration: 31/10/2012

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy reveals clustering behaviour of Chlamydia pneumoniae’s major outer membrane protein

Chlamydiapneumoniaeis a Gram-negative bacterium responsible for a number of humanrespiratory diseases and linked to some chronic inflammatory diseases. The major outer membraneprotein (MOMP) ofChlamydiais a conserved immunologically dominant protein located in the outermembrane, which, together with its surface exposure and abundance, has led to MOMP being themain focus for vaccine and antimicrobial studies in recent decades. MOMP has a major role in thechlamydial outer membrane complex through the formation of intermolecular disulphide bonds,although the exact interactions formed are currently unknown. Here, it is proposed that due to thelarge number of cysteines available for disulphide bonding, interactions occur between cysteine-richpockets as opposed to individual residues. Such pockets were identified using a MOMP homologymodel with a supporting low-resolution (~4 Å) crystal structure. The localisation of MOMP in theE. colimembrane was assessed using direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM),which showed a decrease in membrane clustering with cysteine-rich regions containing two mutations.These results indicate that disulphide bond formation was not disrupted by single mutants locatedin the cysteine-dense regions and was instead compensated by neighbouring cysteines within thepocket in support of this cysteine-rich pocket hypothesis

Exploring Barriers and Opportunities in Adopting Crowdsourcing Based New Product Development in Manufacturing SMEs

Crowdsourcing is an innovative business practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content or even funds by soliciting contributions from a large group of people (the ‘Crowd’). The potential benefits of utilizing crowdsourcing in product design are well-documented, but little research exists on what are the barriers and opportunities in adopting crowdsourcing in new product development (NPD) of manufacturing SMEs. In order to answer the above questions, a Proof of Market study is carried out on crowdsourcing-based product design under an Innovate UK funded Smart project, which aims at identifying the needs, challenges and future development opportunities associated with adopting crowdsourcing strategies for NPD. The research findings from this study are reported here and can be used to guide future development of crowdsourcing-based collaborative design methods and tools and provide some practical references for industry to adopt this new and emerging collaborative design method in their business