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International audience; On August 14 th 2015 a large debris flow initiated by the occurrence of two slope failures at the front of the Lou rock glacier flooded part of the town of Lanslevillard, France. The present study aims to understand the meteorological and geomorphological context that led to these failures. Investigations were conducted by combining meteorological data, surface movements, and geophysical transects. The analysis indicates that the Lou rock glacier is directly connected to an active torrential channel and has a natural predisposition to frontal failure due to the steepness of its front. The slope failures were triggered after a heat wave followed by a three-week period of almost continuous rainfall. Water flowing on top of the permafrost table was observed in the two head scarps, suggesting that regressive erosion consecutive to this concentrated subsurface water flow triggered the failures. For one of the slides, traces of previous failures were observable on historical aerial imagery dating back to the 1950's, while the second slide corresponded to a novel event and developed on the frontal slope of a fast-moving and destabilized rock glacier lobe. We also discuss the increase in local predisposition to failure related to the remarkable morphological modifications such as frontal advance and development of surface cracks associated with the lobe destabilization.

International audience

Purpose: Benzodiazepines (BDZs) are the drugs of choice to prevent the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). Various treatment protocols are published and have been shown to be effective in both office-managed and facility-managed treatment of AWS. The aim of this scientific commentary is to demonstrate the differences in the expected exposure to BDZs during AWS treatment using different treatment regimens available in the literature, in patients with or without alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Methods: Diazepam and lorazepam AWS protocols were examined and reviewed in the literature, and blood plasma levels were examined and compared, respectively. Results: Considerable variation in the blood levels with the different dosing schedules was found. Because the drugs are metabolized differently, we have also shown that liver disease affects the blood levels of diazepam, but not of lorazepam. Conclusions: Differences in treatment regimens, the choice of BDZ, as well as the presence of liver cirrhosis can substantially alter the exposure of patients to drugs used for AWS treatment. Outpatient treatment of AWS has been shown to be relatively safe and effective for the treatment of AWS but patients should be carefully monitored.