Network of European Facilities I: European Network of Crisis Management Laboratories (ENCML)

This policy report focuses on the Network of European Facilities. It draws attention to requirements to initiate the network, methods to carry out experiments and to how the activities of the ENCML will feed into the Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre (DRMKC)JRC.E.1-Disaster Risk Managemen

Seismic Risk Assessment Tools Workshop

Held in the European Crisis Management Laboratory on 11-12 May 2017, the Workshop brought together on one side the developers of some of the most widely used modern seismic risk assessment tools and on the other a number of Civil Protection authorities from countries of the European Civil Protection Mechanism. The objective was to demonstrate the use and capabilities of the tools, explore the possible use in near-real-time impact assessment and promote their use in risk planning and disaster response. The systems presented in the workshop demonstrated a very high sophistication and increased flexibility in accepting data from a large number of sources and formats. Systems that were initially developed on a national scale can now work on a global level with little effort and the use of global-scale exposure data is almost seamless. An urgent need for more accurate exposure data being openly available was identified, as well as the need of proper use of the fragility curves. Inter-system collaboration and interoperability in some cases to increase ease of use was greatly appreciated and encouraged. All systems participated in a real-time simulation exercise on previously unknown seismic data provided by the JRC; some additional automation might be in order, but in general all systems demostrated a capacity to produce results on a near-real-time basis. The demonstrations were unanimously welcomed as very useful by the participating Civil Protection Authorities, most of which are either using a locally-developed system of moving towards using one of those presented in the workshop.JRC.E.1-Disaster Risk Managemen

Tsunami Decision Support Systems. TDSS-2015. Outcomes of the 6th JRC ECML Crisis Management Technology Workshop

The 6th JRC ECML Crisis Management Technology Workshop on Tsunami Decision Support Systems was held in the European Crisis Management Laboratory (ECML) of the Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy, from 2ndto 3rd July 2015. The workshop, co-organized with DRIVER (Driving Innovation in Crisis Management for European Resilience) Consortium Partners, brought together stakeholders in the design, development and use of ICT tools for decision support. 20 participants attended the event. A good mix of regional and national service providers was represented, along with European and non-European systems providers and users. The purpose of the workshop was to show the status of the technology in this field, the specific requirements and the benefits in the use of one or another solution. During the first day participants presented their tools, while during the second they had to carry out demonstration exercises on the basis of given scenarios. In the last part of the event, they were involved in a discussion which revolved around a set of questions focused on, inter alia, strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of each tool. The main aims of the discussion were to identify both new opportunities for collaboration and for tools integration and also to “bridge the gap” between the scientific and technical level and the operational dimension. The workshop was a very good opportunity for several research and operational teams to collaboratively discuss Decision Support Systems, lessons learned, ideas for improvements and opportunities for collaboration.JRC.G.2-Global security and crisis managemen

Microwave ablation of renal tumors: state of the art and development trends

In the last decades an increased incidence of new renal tumor cases has been for clinically localized, small tumors <2.0 cm. This trend for small, low-stage tumors is the reflection of earlier diagnosis primarily as a result of the widespread and increasing use of non-invasive abdominal imaging modalities such as ultrasound, computerized tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Renal tumors are often diagnosed in elderly patients, with medical comorbidities whom the risk of surgical complications may pose a greater risk of death than that due to the tumor itself. In these patients, unsuitable for surgical approach, thermal ablation represents a valid alternative to traditional surgery. Thermal ablation is a less invasive, less morbid treatment option thanks to reduced blood loss, lower incidence of complications during the procedure and a less long convalescence. At present, the most widely used thermal ablative techniques are cryoablation, radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation (MWA). MWA offers many benefits of other ablation techniques and offers several other advantages: higher intratumoral temperatures, larger tumor ablation volumes, faster ablation times, the ability to use multiple applicators simultaneously, optimal heating of cystic masses and tumors close to the vessels and less procedural pain. This review aims to provide the reader with an overview about the state of the art of microwave ablation for renal tumors and to cast a glance on the new development trends of this technique