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Abstract Rip currents are the number one hazard to bathers at surf beaches. They form as water trapped on the beach moves in a concentrated flow offshore. Miami Beach, Florida is a popular tourist destination and also one of the most deadly beaches in the United States regarding rip-related fatalities. In this study, surveys were used to quantify the public's recognition of rip currents based on factors that included their sociodemographic composition and behavioral characteristics. The responses were analyzed using regression models, which tended to indicate that education level, rip current literacy, and confidence in spotting a rip influenced the beachgoer's ability to recognize a rip current. However, the multivariate model showed a person's education is the only significant variable. A beachgoer's verbal understanding of rip currents does not relate to their visual recognition ability and vice versa. This survey has gathered valuable information that can be used by Miami Beach to create rip current awareness programs that target the most at-risk populations. Highlights • 60% of respondents could not identify the safest place to enter the water. • Visitors lack confidence in their ability to spot a rip current. • Only education level influences beachgoer's ability to recognize a rip current. • Rip current education and awareness are vital to beach safety campaigns. • The most at-risk populations should be targeted to mitigate the hazard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Within developing countries, studies addressing the effects of maternity benefits on fertility, infant/child health, and women’s labor force participation are limited and provide contradictory findings. Yet, knowledge regarding the implementation of maternity provisions is essential, as such policies could significantly improve women and children’s well-being. We add to this literature using fixed effects panel regression from 1999 to 2012 across 121 developing countries to explore whether different types of maternity leave policies affect infant/child mortality rates, fertility, and women’s labor force participation, and whether those effects are shaped by disparities in GDP per Capita and Secondary School Enrollment. Our findings demonstrate: (1) both infant and child mortality rates are expected to decline in countries that institute any leave policy, policies that last 12 weeks or longer, and policies that increase in duration and payment (as a percentage of total annual salary), (2) fertility is expected to decline in countries that have higher weekly paid compensation, (3) maternity leave provisions decrease fertility and infant/child mortality rates most in countries with lower GDP per capita and countries with middle-range secondary enrollment rates, and (4) labor force participation does not increase. Our results suggest that policy makers must consider the duration, compensation, and goals (addressing fertility versus mortality rates) of a policy alongside a country’s economic development and secondary school enrollment when determining which maternity leave provisions to apply within developing-country contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars and policy makers continue to debate whether information technology (IT,) facilitates economic growth and quality of life throughout the world. "Cyber optimists" argue that access to IT promotes development whereas "cyber pessimists" assert that such access simply exacerbates global inequality. Our quantitative analysis generally supports the former perspective, showing that access to IT increases economic expansion and decreases child mortality in the developing world. However, the increasing "digital divide" between rich and poor countries threatens the capacity of IT to contribute to development and may, in the long run, provide greater support to those who criticize development efforts based on information technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]