Concept MSBS GROT Rifle Upper Receiver Shield to Protect Against Foreign Objects

This paper presents a concept for shielding the MSBS (Modular Firearms System) Grot rifle upper receiver against foreign objects. The concept guidelines involve feedback from Grot operators concerning the regular operation of the rifle plus an extensive analysis of desktop patent research into foreign debris shields (or dust shields) for protection of the upper receiver interior in firearms. The completed patent desktop research included solutions used with automatic, semi-automatic and non-automatic firearms. The research work drove the formulation of the requirements for an upper receiver dust shield for the 5.56 mm calibre MSBS Grot rifle as part of the ongoing improvement process. This paper presents three concepts of the carrier charging handle assembly dust shield (for the protection of the upper receiver against foreign objects) for the MSBS-5.56 rifle system. The concepts described vary in terms of the level of structural complexity of the dust shield, and the extent of the modifications required to the upper receiver of the rifle. With test units of the upper receiver dust shield manufactured and comparative tests completed on the three concepts, the version selected should be the one which improves the protection of the rifle internals from foreign objects found in the local environment, including sand, clay, silt, and mud, the latter being an aqueous suspension of these particles.

What helps implement and sustain communication systems designed to improve addiction: an interim report on a randomized controlled trial (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Researchers have conducted numerous studies seeking to understand how to improve implementation of changes in healthcare organizations, but less focus has been given to applying lessons already learned from implementation science to current projects. Finding innovative ways to apply these findings efficiently will improve current research on implementation strategies and will allow organizations utilizing these techniques to make changes more easily. OBJECTIVE This research seeks to compare a practical implementation approach that uses principles from prior implementation studies to more traditional ways of implementing change to further understand this issue. METHODS Forty-three addiction treatment sites in Iowa were randomly assigned to two different implementation strategies in a randomized comparative effectiveness trial studying implementation of an e-health substance use disorder (SUD) treatment technology. One strategy used an adaptation of the NIATx improvement approach developed for use in addiction treatment organizations, while the other utilized a traditional product training model. This paper discusses lessons learned from interviews with clinicians at these organizations and other informal feedback gathered throughout the study. RESULTS Use of the NIATx approach led to improved outcomes on several measures, including initial and sustained use of new technology by both counselors and patients. Additionally, feedback from clinicians and organizations indicates that utilizing strategies like ensuring that changes address current challenges and outlining how it does so, integrating organizational changes into workflows, and utilizing coaching to overcome hurdles and assess progress are important to improving implementation projects. CONCLUSIONS At this interim point in the study, it seems clear that use of the NIATx improvement process leads to better outcomes in implementation of changes within healthcare organizations. However, some strategies utilized in this improvement process are more useful and should be drawn on more heavily in future implementation efforts. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03954184. Registered 17 May 2019.

Let’s build an app for that

The promotion of physical activity behavior change among adults with cancer is a research priority. Within this field, increasing attention is being devoted to the use of health technology, which includes mobile phones and applications, or apps, to support and deliver physical activity behavior change interventions. While building a mobile app is a popular proposal among exercise oncology researchers, little practical information exists on how this process should be done or what considerations researchers should take in collaboration with participants and industry. The present article provides an overview of recent experiences with app development in exercise oncology and outlines several recommendations for future research. Methods and Results: After forming an interdisciplinary team of researchers, industry partners, and exercise oncology program participants, an iterative, user-centered app improvement process was followed to collect feedback and make meaningful changes to an existing mobile health app for its use in exercise oncology. Participant feedback was summarized and addressed collaboratively via open discussion and detailed action plans. Changes made include enhanced introductory materials for the app and improvements to usability and personalization. Some requests remain to be addressed in future updates. Two challenges identified during the app improvement process were balancing the unique needs and priorities of all parties, as well as addressing the variable feedback from a variable population of adults with cancer. Conclusions and significance: A multidisciplinary participant-oriented app improvement process led to meaningful updates to the mobile application of interest, preparing researchers to carry out an evaluation of its effectiveness within exercise oncology. Furthermore, based on lessons learned, the research team present key recommendations to consider in future mobile app research before, during, and after the development process.