Before the earthquake that struck on January 12, 2010, Haiti was one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, such that many of its buildings and public infrastructure were unable to protect hundreds of thousands of people from dying, and its emergency and healthcare systems were ill-equipped to help the injured and homeless. In response to this healthcare and humanitarian crisis, four nurse faculty members from the New York City area, three from Hunter College, came together and formed a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization, called Promoting Health in Haiti (PHH), with the sole purpose of improving the quality of and access to primary healthcare in Haiti by educating advanced practice nurses there. The model was an international collaboration, and the teaching was done both on site and remotely. The impact of these programs on the healthcare in the country is discussed here.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of earthquake preparedness training on the psychological resilience and earthquake preparedness levels of mothers with physically disabled children. The study was conducted at a special education and rehabilitation center in a province in eastern Turkey between January and April 2024, using a pre-test/post-test control group experimental design. A total of 78 mothers participated, with 39 randomly assigned to the experimental group and 39 to the control group. The experimental group received earthquake preparedness training. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. It was determined that 38.5% of the mothers in the experimental group were between 32-39 years of age, equal numbers of primary (35.9%) and secondary (35.9%) school graduates, 84.6% had nuclear families and 89.7% lived in urban areas. In the control group, 38.5% of the mothers were between 25-31 years of age, 33.3% were primary school graduates, 79.5% had nuclear families and 97.4% lived in urban areas. The experimental and control groups were similar in terms of baseline characteristics. Before the training, Adult Psychological Resilience Scale (APRS) scores were comparable between groups. After the training, the experimental group showed a significant increase in psychological resilience compared to the control group (p < .05). Similarly, Disaster Preparedness Scale (DPS) scores were comparable before the training, but the experimental group showed a significant increase in earthquake preparedness after the training (p < .05). The training enhanced both psychological resilience and earthquake preparedness in mothers, increasing their knowledge and awareness about earthquakes. Developing earthquake preparedness training and materials specifically for families with physically disabled children will contribute to the safety and well-being of both families and their children.

The Mu Us Desert-Loess Plateau transition zone in China, a fragile ecosystem prone to desertification, has undergone substantial ecological restoration since the early twenty-first century. This study utilized land use/cover data from 2000 to 2023 to assess the ecological response of green spaces to these efforts. A comprehensive set of ecological indices-including the green ecosystem index (GEI), equivalent ecological quality (EEQ) index, and green ecological contribution (GEC) rate-was used to quantify changes in green space extent and ecosystem quality. The study results showed a 5.83% increase in green space area, corresponding to an addition of 1979.7 km, along with a notable rise in the GEI across 20.18% of the region, reflecting improved ecosystem function and resilience. The conversion of barren into productive green spaces has mitigated land degradation and supported ecological recovery. The EEQ of regional green spaces improved by 1.16%, and the GEC from land use changes was 1.15%. However, challenges remain, including the degradation of 3114.5 km of high-quality green spaces and the encroachment of 428.2 km by non-green land uses. Ongoing monitoring, targeted interventions, and adaptive management strategies are essential for further improving land greening and ecological quality. This study provides valuable insights for sustainable land management and ecological restoration in similar fragile environments.

Over the past 5 years, Indonesia has faced numerous sudden crises due to its geographical location along the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. These events highlight the frequent occurrence of sudden crises in Indonesia and underscore the need for robust disaster preparedness and response systems. Effective crisis management requires a strategy that immediately informs organizations and the health sector of necessary actions. This study aims to investigate the effects of safety culture (SC), supportive environment (SE), management commitment (MC), and social media usage on internal crisis communication (ICC) during crises in Indonesia. It also compares the multiple regression models between employees in the private and public sectors. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted with 567 full-time employees from various organizations who have been directly affected by crises. The findings reveal that, for public sector employees, all antecedents negatively impact ICC except for SC and MC. In contrast, for private sector employees, all antecedents positively impact ICC except for MC and the perceived usefulness of social media. This study highlights the importance of MC, an SE, SC, and the perceived usefulness of social media in determining employees' ICC during crises. The significance of an SE and SC on employees' perceptions of ICC is similarly emphasized.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of an earthquake experienced during pregnancy on maternal stress, depression, and perinatal outcomes.

Numerous measurements show that after a strong earthquake the velocity of seismic waves changes and then slowly returns to its original value. The relaxation process can last from several months to several years, while the seismic wave velocity often changes logarithmically with time similar to what was observed in laboratory experiments. In this work, the relevant experimental results, including long-term observations at the Parkfield Seismic Observatory (California), are analyzed using the previously developed physical model that was successfully used to describe "slow time" effects in laboratory experiments. The model is based on an Arrhenius-type equation describing the evolution of contacts between grains and in cracks. The results of simulations of the recovery time are in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data. These results may be used for remote diagnostics of rocks' stress state.

To evaluate perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and social support among mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to mothers of typically developing (TD) children following major earthquakes in Türkiye. Additionally, to examine whether perceived social support mediates the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms in mothers of children with ASD.

Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) is a major public health menace. The global spread of MRSA is characterized by successive waves of epidemic clones dominating specific geographical regions. The acquisition of genes encoding resistance to heavy metals (HMRGs) is thought to be a key feature in the geographic divergence of MRSA. However, the cause-effect relationship between the presence of HMRGs and the divergence of MRSA clones remains to be clarified. In this study, we assessed the role that HMRGs may have played in the evolutionary divergence of the MRSA ST5-SCCI lineage in Latin America. We conducted a genomic characterization of 113 MRSA clinical isolates from six Latin American healthcare centers, including 53 isolates collected from two cities in Chile (Santiago and Concepción). We found a plasmid (pSCL4752) harboring arsenic, cadmium, and mercury resistance genes in 65% ( = 71) of the ST5-SCCI isolates. We also observed a geographic divergence associated with the presence of pSCL4752 in Chilean isolates, with a higher frequency in isolates from Concepción (88%) compared to Santiago (29%). Interestingly, a molecular clock analysis revealed that this divergence occurred in the aftermath of an 8.8 Mw earthquake and tsunami that struck the Concepción area in 2010. Moreover, our results demonstrate that the carriage of pSCL4752 can be beneficial or detrimental for ST5-SCCI isolates, depending on the environmental availability of these heavy metals. Our results suggest that the divergence of the ST5-SCCI MRSA lineage in Latin America could have been fostered by environmental disasters and influenced by the presence/absence of HMRGs harbored in a plasmid.IMPORTANCEMethicillin-resistant (MRSA) is a major cause of life-threatening infections worldwide and a growing public health concern. The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as MRSA, is often linked to genetic adaptations that enhance their survival. Our research sheds light on how environmental changes, such as those triggered by a natural disaster, can influence the evolution and geographic spread of a highly resistant MRSA lineage in Latin America. We identified a plasmid carrying genes for resistance to arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, which was associated with the geographic divergence of the ST5-SCCI MRSA lineage, with striking differences in its prevalence between regions affected by a major earthquake and tsunami. By linking environmental events to pathogen evolution, our study highlights the role of ecological pressures in the spread of MRSA. These findings emphasize the need to integrate environmental monitoring into public health strategies to better understand the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and stress among earthquake survivors following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. This cross-sectional study included 461 earthquake survivors. The findings revealed prevalence rates of 17.4% for PTSD, 61.2% for depression, 79.4% for anxiety, and 58.4% for stress. A moderately significant positive correlation was found between PTSD and depression ( = 0.434), anxiety ( = 0.543), and stress ( = 0.534). Female participants had a higher risk for PTSD (OR = 2.144,  = 0.028) and anxiety (OR = 2.014,  = 0.005). Being unmarried was associated with increased risks for depression (OR = 1.597,  = 0.030) and anxiety (OR = 1.523,  = 0.045). Participants aged 33-67 had a significantly lower risk of developing PTSD (OR = 0.079,  = 0.022). Increased psychological support is essential for earthquake survivors' mental health recovery.

As it is difficult to examine the mental health of disaster victims immediately after a disaster through the rigorous procedures required for academic papers, the overall mental state of victims immediately after a disaster is not well understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the actual mental health needs of victims during the transition from the acute and subacute phases to the chronic phase of the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake (NPE).