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\"What does Japan's 2011 nuclear accident have in common with the 2005 flooding of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina? This thought-provoking book presents a compelling account of recent and historical disasters, both natural and human-caused, drawing out common themes and providing a holistic understanding of hazards, disasters and mitigation, for anyone interested in this important and topical subject. Based on his on-the-ground experience with several major recent disasters, Timothy H. Dixon explores the science, politics and economics behind a variety of disasters and environmental issues, arguing that many of the worst effects are avoidable. He describes examples of planning and safety failures, provides forecasts of future disasters and proposes solutions for hazard mitigation. The book shows how billions of dollars and countless lives could be saved by adopting longer-term thinking for infrastructure planning and building, and argues that better communication is vital in reducing global risks and preventing future catastrophes\"-- Provided by publisher.

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is an important component of ocean thermohaline circulation. Melting of Greenland’s ice sheet is freshening the North Atlantic; however, whether the augmented freshwater flux is disrupting the AMOC is unclear. Dense Labrador Sea Water (LSW), formed by winter cooling of saline North Atlantic water and subsequent convection, is a key component of the deep southward return flow of the AMOC. Although LSW formation recently decreased, it also reached historically high values in the mid-1990s, making the connection to the freshwater flux unclear. Here we derive a new estimate of the recent freshwater flux from Greenland using updated GRACE satellite data, present new flux estimates for heat and salt from the North Atlantic into the Labrador Sea and explain recent variations in LSW formation. We suggest that changes in LSW can be directly linked to recent freshening, and suggest a possible link to AMOC weakening. Labrador Sea convection and the Atlantic overturning circulation are sensitive to surface freshening of the North Atlantic. Here, the authors show that the recent increases in Arctic freshwater flux can directly weaken Labrador Sea convection and potentially affect the overturning circulation.

Background Most people do not apply sunscreen effectively. The Australian and New Zealand standard for sunscreen specifies labels must provide clear and adequate directions for use but does not prescribe specific wording or positioning. Additionally, water-resistant sunscreens must declare the duration of laboratory-tested water resistance, up to 4 h maximum. Formative research found consumers are confused by reapplication directions and water resistance claims. This study aimed to explore whether enhanced sunscreen labelling information can improve sunscreen reapplication. Methods Adult sunscreen users ( n  = 3,363) were randomised to view one of ten mock sunscreen labels in a 2 × 5 online experiment. Labels differed according to front-of-pack (FOP) water resistance claim (standard: tested for 4 h water resistance vs. alternative: water resistant) and reapplication information (none vs. any; with four message variations: simple text, simple icon, extended text, extended icon). We used multivariate logistic regression to examine the effect of FOP labelling on knowledge and intention to reapply sunscreen every 2 h and after swimming, sweating and towel drying (henceforth: activity), considering: (i) water resistance and reapplication information and (ii) reapplication message type. Results Compared to no information, FOP reapplication information increased knowledge (48% vs. 70%) and intention to reapply within 2 h (41% vs. 54%), but not after activity. Compared to the standard claim, the alternative water resistant claim increased knowledge (60% vs. 72%) and intention to reapply within 2 h (47% vs. 56%), but not after activity. Although there was no clear pattern of effects for reapplication message type, only the extended icon (with directions to reapply every 2 h or after activity) increased knowledge to reapply after activity, irrespective of the water resistance claim (52% standard and 57% alternative). Conclusions Under the current standard, sunscreen labels do not provide clear directions for use, which leaves consumers vulnerable to UV damage. Mandating FOP reapplication directions and adopting an alternative ‘water resistant’ claim could improve consumer understanding of how often to reapply sunscreen. Due to common misperceptions about the limits of water resistance, further user-centred label design and public education is needed to improve reapplication after swimming, sweating and towel drying.

Significance Recent destructive megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan and Sumatra indicate the difficulty of forecasting these events. Geodetic monitoring of the offshore regions of the subduction zones where these events occur has been suggested as a useful tool, but its potential has never been conclusively demonstrated. Here we show that slow slip events, nondestructive events that release energy slowly over weeks or months, are important mechanisms for releasing seismic strain in subduction zones. Better monitoring of these events, especially those offshore, could allow estimates of the size of future earthquakes and their potential for damaging tsunamis. However, the predictive value of slow slip events remains unclear. The 5 September 2012 M w 7.6 earthquake on the Costa Rica subduction plate boundary followed a 62-y interseismic period. High-precision GPS recorded numerous slow slip events (SSEs) in the decade leading up to the earthquake, both up-dip and down-dip of seismic rupture. Deeper SSEs were larger than shallower ones and, if characteristic of the interseismic period, release most locking down-dip of the earthquake, limiting down-dip rupture and earthquake magnitude. Shallower SSEs were smaller, accounting for some but not all interseismic locking. One SSE occurred several months before the earthquake, but changes in Mohr–Coulomb failure stress were probably too small to trigger the earthquake. Because many SSEs have occurred without subsequent rupture, their individual predictive value is limited, but taken together they released a significant amount of accumulated interseismic strain before the earthquake, effectively defining the area of subsequent seismic rupture (rupture did not occur where slow slip was common). Because earthquake magnitude depends on rupture area, this has important implications for earthquake hazard assessment. Specifically, if this behavior is representative of future earthquake cycles and other subduction zones, it implies that monitoring SSEs, including shallow up-dip events that lie offshore, could lead to accurate forecasts of earthquake magnitude and tsunami potential.

Iceberg calving is a major contributor to Greenland’s ice mass loss. Pro-glacial mélange (a mixture of sea ice, icebergs, and snow) may be tightly packed in the long, narrow fjords that front many marine-terminating glaciers and can reduce calving by buttressing. However, data limitations have hampered a quantitative understanding. We develop a new radar-based approach to estimate time-varying elevations near the mélange-glacier interface, generating a factor of three or more improvement in elevation precision. We apply the technique to Jakobshavn Isbræ, Greenland’s major outlet glacier. Over a one-month period in early summer 2016, the glacier experienced essentially no calving, and was buttressed by an unusually thick mélange wedge that increased in thickness towards the glacier front. The extent and thickness of the wedge gradually decreased, with large-scale calving starting once the mélange mass within 7 km of the glacier front had decreased by >40%. Observation systems are not sufficient to determine the relationship between mélange strength and calving frequency. Here the authors used the derivation of digital elevation models from radar interferometry data to study Jakobshavn Isbræ and show an inverse correlation between mélange thickness and calving rate.

In this meta-analysis, we estimate the effectiveness of hybrid language instruction overall and across a number of moderator variables by aggregating effect sizes from 11 studies with 34 samples. Results suggest hybrid language instruction can be just as effective as traditional face-to-face (f2f) instruction, as indicated by the negligible differences between hybrid courses and traditional f2f courses (d = .14). Furthermore, studies employing within-group designs indicate that students in hybrid language classes can improve their language skills considerably (d = 1.47). This is a positive finding given that many institutions have experienced a surge in hybrid teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We also report on a number of moderator variables that can impact the effectiveness of hybrid language courses, including (a) the amount of reduction in f2f time, (b) the use of online activities provided by textbook publishers, (c) the use of a learning management system, (d) advances in digital technologies, (e) the targeted language skills (e.g., speaking, writing), and (f) whether the data come from initial or subsequent iterations of a hybrid course. Additionally, we offer directions for future research regarding the substantive and methodological issues in the hybrid language instruction domain.

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, characterised by maternal pruritus and increased serum bile acid concentrations, is associated with increased rates of stillbirth, preterm birth, and neonatal unit admission. Ursodeoxycholic acid is widely used as a treatment without an adequate evidence base. We aimed to evaluate whether ursodeoxycholic acid reduces adverse perinatal outcomes in women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. We did a double-blind, multicentre, randomised placebo-controlled trial at 33 hospital maternity units in England and Wales. We recruited women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, who were aged 18 years or older and with a gestational age between 20 weeks and 40 weeks and 6 days, with a singleton or twin pregnancy and no known lethal fetal anomaly. Participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to ursodeoxycholic acid or placebo, given as two oral tablets a day at an equivalent dose of 500 mg twice a day. The dose could be increased or decreased at the clinician's discretion, to a maximum of four tablets and a minimum of one tablet a day. We recommended that treatment should be continued from enrolment until the infant's birth. The primary outcome was a composite of perinatal death (in-utero fetal death after randomisation or known neonatal death up to 7 days after birth), preterm delivery (<37 weeks' gestation), or neonatal unit admission for at least 4 h (from birth until hospital discharge). Each infant was counted once within this composite. All analyses were done according to the intention-to-treat principle. The trial was prospectively registered with the ISRCTN registry, number 91918806. Between Dec 23, 2015, and Aug 7, 2018, 605 women were enrolled and randomly allocated to receive ursodeoxycholic acid (n=305) or placebo (n=300). The primary outcome analysis included 304 women and 322 infants in the ursodeoxycholic acid group, and 300 women and 318 infants in the placebo group (consent to use data was withdrawn for 1 woman and 2 infants). The primary composite outcome occurred in 74 (23%) of 322 infants in the ursodeoxycholic acid group and 85 (27%) of 318 infants in the placebo group (adjusted risk ratio 0·85 [95% CI 0·62–1·15]). Two serious adverse events were reported in the ursodeoxycholic acid group and six serious adverse events were reported in the placebo group; no serious adverse events were regarded as being related to treatment. Treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid does not reduce adverse perinatal outcomes in women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. Therefore, its routine use for this condition should be reconsidered. National Institute for Health Research Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Programme.

Background: African Americans experience more severe and chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms compared to other racial groups, and thus it is important to examine factors that are relevant for the aetiology of PTSD in this population. Although racial discrimination has been implicated as an exacerbating factor in the development and maintenance of PTSD, relatively less is known about mechanisms through which this process may occur. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine one such mechanism, emotion dysregulation, in two independent samples of African American adults. Method: Trauma-exposed participants were recruited in a large, urban community hospital setting (initial sample n = 1,841; replication sample n = 294). In the initial sample, participants completed a unidimensional measure of emotion dysregulation and self-reported PTSD symptoms based on the DSM-IV. In the replication sample, participants completed a multidimensional measure of emotion dysregulation and a diagnostic interview of PTSD symptoms based on the DSM-5. Mediation analyses were used to test our hypotheses. Results: Across both samples, results indicated that racial discrimination was indirectly associated with PTSD symptoms through emotion dysregulation (even when trauma load was added as a covariate). Conclusions: Taken together, these results provide strong evidence that the association between racial discrimination and PTSD symptoms may be partially explained by the association between racial discrimination and worse emotion dysregulation. These findings elucidate the impact of racist incidents on mental health and identify modifiable emotion regulatory processes that can be intervened upon to enhance the psychological and social wellbeing of African Americans. * Experiencing more racial discrimination may negatively impact how African Americans are able to regulate emotions;* Difficulty regulating emotions may partly explain the link between racial discrimination and PTSD symptoms among African Americans.

Active-layer thickness (ALT) is estimated for a study area in northern Alaska's continuous-permafrost zone using satellite data from Sentinel-1 (radar) and ICESat-2 (lidar) for the period 2017 to 2022. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferograms were generated using the Short Baseline Subset (SBAS) approach. Displacement time series over the thaw season (June–September) are fit well with a linear model (root mean square error (RMSE) scatter is less than 7 mm) and show maximum seasonal subsidence of 20–60 mm. ICESat-2 products were used to validate the interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) displacement time series. ALT was estimated from measured subsidence using a widely used model exploiting the volume difference between ice and water, reaching a maximum depth in our study area of 1.5 m. Estimated ALT is in good agreement with in situ and other remotely sensed data but is sensitive to assumed thaw season onset, indicating the need for reliable surface temperature data. Our results suggest the feasibility of long-term permafrost monitoring with satellite InSAR. However, the C-band (∼55 mm center wavelength) Sentinel radar is sensitive to vegetation cover and, in our studies, was not successful for similar monitoring in the heavily treed discontinuous-permafrost zone of central Alaska.

Part of the subduction zone plate interface beneath Costa Rica was previously locked, which allowed strain to accumulate. Analyses using GPS and geomorphic data show that almost the entire locked region ruptured during a megathrust quake in 2012, implying that plate-interface mapping towards the end of the earthquake cycle can aid seismic hazard assessments. The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica is one of the few places on Earth where the seismically active plate interface of a subduction zone is directly overlaid by land rather than ocean. At this plate interface, large megathrust earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 7 occur approximately every 50 years. Such quakes occurred in 1853, 1900 and 1950, so another large earthquake had been anticipated 1 , 2 . Land-based Global Positioning System 3 , 4 (GPS) and seismic 5 , 6 , 7 measurements revealed a region where the plate interface was locked and hence accumulated seismic strain that could be released in future earthquakes. On 5 September 2012, the long-anticipated Nicoya earthquake occurred in the heart of the previously identified locked patch. Here we report observations of coseismic deformation from GPS and geomorphic data along the Nicoya Peninsula and show that the magnitude 7.6 Nicoya earthquake ruptured the lateral and down-dip extent of the previously locked region of the plate interface. We also identify a previously locked part of the plate interface, located immediately offshore, that may not have slipped during the 2012 earthquake, where monitoring should continue. By pairing observations of the spatial extent of interseismic locking and subsequent coseismic rupture, we demonstrate the use of detailed near-field geodetic investigations during the late interseismic period for identifying future earthquake potential.