A mixed quantitative approach to evaluate rockfall risk and the maximum allowable traffic on road infrastructure

Rockfall events constitute one of the most dangerous phenomena in mountainous areas, which can affect transportation routes. In a risk mitigation perspective, the quantification of the risk for pedestrians and vehicles represents a crucial aspect for authorities. A method tailored to these elements at risk is herein presented. The proposed method is based on a mixed formulation of the Quantitative Risk Assessment and the Event Tree Analysis approaches. According to these procedures, an accurate evaluation of the annual probability of adverse outcomes can be computed considering all the scenarios which can lead to a fatality or to an injury. Vice versa, the method lets to evaluate the allowable traffic condition, given an acceptable threshold for the risk. Furthermore, it serves to quantify the risk reduction in case of installed passive mitigation measures and, thus, to plan the priority of intervention works. An application on a study case in the Italian Alps illustrates the potentialities of the methodology

MASTREE+: Time-series of plant reproductive effort from six continents

Significant gaps remain in understanding the response of plant reproduction to environmental change. This is partly because measuring reproduction in long-lived plants requires direct observation over many years and such datasets have rarely been made publicly available. Here we introduce MASTREE+, a data set that collates reproductive time-series data from across the globe and makes these data freely available to the community. MASTREE+ includes 73,828 georeferenced observations of annual reproduction (e.g. seed and fruit counts) in perennial plant populations worldwide. These observations consist of 5971 population-level time-series from 974 species in 66 countries. The mean and median time-series length is 12.4 and 10 years respectively, and the data set includes 1122 series that extend over at least two decades (≥20 years of observations). For a subset of well-studied species, MASTREE+ includes extensive replication of time-series across geographical and climatic gradients. Here we describe the open-access data set, available as a.csv file, and we introduce an associated web-based app for data exploration. MASTREE+ will provide the basis for improved understanding of the response of long-lived plant reproduction to environmental change. Additionally, MASTREE+ will enable investigation of the ecology and evolution of reproductive strategies in perennial plants, and the role of plant reproduction as a driver of ecosystem dynamics.EEA Santa CruzFil: Hacket-Pain, Andrew. University of Liverpool. School of Environmental Sciences. Department of Geography and Planning; Reino UnidoFil: Foest, Jessie J. University of Liverpool. School of Environmental Sciences. Department of Geography and Planning; Reino UnidoFil: Pearse, Ian S. U.S. Fort Collins Science Center. Geological Survey; Estados UnidosFil: LaMontagne, Jalene M. DePaul University. Department of Biological Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Koenig, Walter D. University of California Berkeley. Hastings Reservation; Estados UnidosFil: Vacchiano, Giorgio. University of Milan. Milan Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Italia.Fil: Bogdziewicz, Michał. Adam Mickiewicz University. Faculty of Biology. Institute of Environmental Biology; PoloniaFil: Bogdziewicz, Michał. University Grenoble Alpes. INRAE, LESSEM; FranciaFil: Caignard, Thomas. Université Bordeaux. INRAE, BIOGECO; FranciaFil: Celebias, Paulina. Adam Mickiewicz University. Faculty of Biology. Institute of Environmental Biology; PoloniaFil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina.Fil: Ascoli, Davide. University of Torino. Department of Agricultural. Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA); ItaliaFil: Gallo, Leonardo Ariel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Gallo, Leonardo Ariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Marchelli, Paula. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Marchelli, Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentin

EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to ♀EFAX™ and reduction of menstrual discomfort pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

Following an application from Nutrilinks Sarl submitted for authorisation of a health claim pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of Cyprus, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to ♀EFAX™ and reduction of menstrual discomfort. The food, ♀EFAX™, which is standardised pure krill oil and is the subject of the health claim, is sufficiently characterised. The claimed effect, reduction of menstrual discomfort, is a beneficial physiological effect. No human intervention studies from which conclusions could be drawn for the scientific substantiation of the claim were provided by the applicant. A cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of ♀EFAX™ and reduction of menstrual discomfort

EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to E<em>ff</em>_EXT™ and maintenance of normal joint mobility pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

Following an application from Nutrilinks Sarl, submitted pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of Belgium, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to EffEXT™ and maintenance of normal joint mobility. The Panel considers that EffEXT™, which is standardised pure krill oil, is sufficiently characterised. The claimed effect proposed by the applicant is “contributes to support joint flexibility”. The Panel considers that maintenance of normal joint mobility is a beneficial physiological effect. The applicant identified one human intervention study as being pertinent to the health claim. The Panel notes that chronic inflammation was an inclusion criterion of the study, that a significant number of the patients recruited were reported to have confirmed diagnosis of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or of both cardiovascular disease and osteoarthritis, and that the WOMAC osteoarthritis questionnaire was administered only to patients with arthritic disease (osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis). The Panel also notes that no evidence which could justify the extrapolation of the results, obtained in patients with joint diseases characterised by chronic inflammation, to the target population, subjects without chronic joint diseases, was provided by the applicant. The Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from this study for the scientific substantiation of the claim. The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of EffEXT™ and maintenance of normal joint mobility

EFSA NDA Panel (EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies), 2013. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to “non - fermentable ” carbohydrates and maintenance of tooth mineralisation by decreasing tooth demineralisation pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

Following an application from Roquette Frères, submitted for authorisation of a health claim pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of France, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to Nutriose® which should replace “fermentable carbohydrates” in foods or beverages in order to obtain the claimed effect, i.e. maintenance of tooth mineralisation by reducing tooth demineralisation. From the information provided, the Panel noted that the main characteristic of carbohydrates which is relevant to the claimed effect is the rate and amount of acid production resulting from their fermentation by saccharolytic bacteria in the oral cavity. This Opinion applies to “non-fermentable” carbohydrates, which should replace “fermentable” carbohydrates in foods or beverages in order to obtain the claimed effect. The Panel considers that maintaining tooth mineralisation by reducing tooth demineralisation resulting from acid production in plaque caused by the fermentation of carbohydrates is a beneficial physiological effect. The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has been established between the consumption of foods/beverages containing “fermentable” carbohydrates at an exposure frequency of four or more times daily and an increased tooth demineralisation, and that the consumption of foods/beverages containing “non-fermentable” carbohydrates instead of “fermentable” carbohydrates may maintain tooth mineralisation by decreasing tooth demineralisation. In order to bear the claim, “fermentable” carbohydrates should be replaced in foods or beverages by “non-fermentable” carbohydrates, so that consumption of such foods or beverages does not lower plaque pH below 5.7 during and up to 30 minutes after consumption, and does not lead to dental erosion

EFSA NDA Panel (EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies), 2013 . S tatement on the safety of ' Cetyl Myristoleate Complex ' as an ingredient in food supplements

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to update its opinion on the safety of ‘Cetyl Myristoleate Complex’ (CMC) as a novel food ingredient in the light of a new repeated dose 90-day oral toxicity study in mice. In its previous opinion of 2010, the Panel concluded that based on the available data, the safety of CMC as an ingredient in food supplements has not been established. This conclusion was based on the considerations that in the absence of appropriate data on absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, the provided toxicological data were insufficient. Whereas the applicant considers that the NOAEL of CMC in this new 90-day study was 1000 mg/kg body weight (bw), the highest dose tested, the Panel considers that this study and study report has many shortcomings to be a reliable source of information supporting the absence of adverse effects of the parent material CMC. The Panel concludes that the safety of 'Cetyl Myristoleate Complex' has not been established