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This article describes a mitigation strategy against the risks potentially caused by RPAS capable of performing Specific Category of operations within not segregated airspace. A selection of hazards has been associated to these RPAS and it has been assessed thus obtaining a risk matrix. Considering the basic principles of risk analysis management based on Safety Management System theory, after having implemented the matrix (risks identification and ranking), a new mitigation strategy has been defined in order to maintain constantly the hazards consequences at or below an acceptable level. A strategy based on 'Expert Systems' has been chosen. 'Expert Systems' are computer systems capable of suggesting solutions to problems emulating human expertise in a given field of knowledge. There are many typologies of 'Expert Systems'; the ones considered in this article are the rule-based 'Expert Systems'. They are characterized by a basis of knowledge built from set of rules expressed as 'IF'-'THEN' statements. In this case, each statement has been directly implemented from the operational risks contained in the matrix with a one-to-one correspondence between mitigating rules and hazards for a given RPAS capable of performing Specific Category of operations. The novelty of this process is deemed to be the idea of laying down the basis for the implementation of a software based on artificial intelligence (the 'Expert System') to be integrated with the Flight Control System/Autopilot Subsystem of the RPASs object of the original risk assessment in order to recognize risks and promptly mitigate them during the execution of operational sorties within not segregated airspace. Two levels of integration (basic and advanced) are described and discussed in the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

A general evolution of airspace and air traffic management is ongoing in Europe including significant novelties for manned aviation. The most important one is the full integration of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) in the next future and the full integration of automated air vehicles and Driverless Personal Air Vehicles (DPAV) afterwards with manned aircraft. The economic impact of integration of RPAS with manned aircraft into not segregated airspace to perform aerial work is very important. European and worldwide Aviation Authorities and other organizations (EUROCONTROL, JARUS, RTCA, etc.) are working to elaborate new regulations and standards to maintain the current level of safety of aerial operations facing the incoming new entry in the airspace. The implementation of a comprehensive preliminary risk model is deemed to be propaedeutic to any former safety analysis of the new operational scenario: RPAS and manned aircraft flying together into a not segregated airspace. Such risk model is defined in accordance to the Safety Risk Management Pillar of Safety Management System model. The safety analysis for the implementation of the above mentioned preliminary risk model is presented and discussed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]