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Background: High participation and performance are necessary conditions for the effectiveness of breast cancer screening programs. Here we describe the process to define and test a planning software application and an audit cycle based on the PRECEDE-PROCEED model applied to improving breast cancer screening. We developed a planning software application following the phases of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model. The application was co-designed by local cancer screening program coordinators. An audit model was also developed. The revised application and the audit model were tested by all the coordinators of 15 breast cancer screening programs in the region of Lombardy in a 3-day workshop. The project plans produced using the application were compared with those produced in the previous year for clarity and completeness.Results: The 9 phases of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model were adapted to screening as follows: 1) identification of program goals (i.e., participation, sensitivity, false positive); 2) epidemiological issues; 3) best practices analysis; 4) evidence-based actions to be implemented in the screening center and the relationships with partners and stakeholders; 5) priority setting and identification of solutions for each issue; 6) definition of indicators; 7) monitoring; 8) evaluation; 9) impact assessment. The application automatically generated reports for each phase. During the audit cycle, the regional health authority negotiated the targets to be reached with local authorities and collected the improvement plans generated by the application. The plans produced after the application was adopted were more standardized and had clearer indicators for monitoring and evaluation compared to those produced in the previous year.Conclusions: The software application helps standardize criteria for planning interventions to improve screening programs and facilitates the implementation of the audit cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to combat the problem of interference on EUTELSAT satellites, a study was let to the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), Defford, UK. This study investigated transmitter location using two-satellite techniques; time difference of arrival (TDOA) and frequency difference of arrival (FDOA). The study produced predictions that interference could be located to tens of km using pairs of EUTELSAT II satellites in north/south stationkept orbits. If a satellite in an inclined orbit, such as a EUTELSAT I, was used, the interference could be located an order of magnitude more accurately. The dominant cause of location error was found to be the satellite ephemeris accuracy in predicting velocity. The theoretical findings were backed up with a successful measurement campaign which targeted both test signals from a known location and operational traffic. © British Crown Copyright 1997/DERA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]