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Abstract An earthquake with a moment magnitude of 7.5 (Mw) struck the northern Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, at 16:10 local time on January 1, 2024. This earthquake triggered a tsunami that propagated along the coastline of Ishikawa, Toyama, and Niigata Prefectures facing the Sea of Japan and significantly damaged coastal communities and infrastructure. Approximately 70 researchers from 23 universities or other institutes throughout Japan formed a joint research group to conduct a post-tsunami survey along a 340 km stretch of the coast. Based on the watermarks and traces of the tsunami, the inundation and run-up heights were surveyed using total stations, automatic optical levels, laser range finders, and a real-time kinematic (RTK) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The tidal correction was adjusted using astronomical tidal tables. In total, 303 survey records have been compiled, generating the NP2024TS (Noto Peninsula 2024 Tsunami Survey) dataset. This dataset provides comprehensive information on the inundation and run-up heights of the tsunami, which is useful for understanding tsunami characteristics and validating numerical tsunami models.

Abstract This study explored closed-circuit television (CCTV) networks in northeastern Toyama Prefecture, Japan, as a new data source for tsunami detection following the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake. We analyzed CCTV footage and extracted time-series water level fluctuations at Yokoyama, Shimoiino, and Ekko. Spectral analysis of these waveforms revealed several long-period peaks (more than 100 s) in power spectral density (PSD), suggesting the presence of tsunami components. Notably, relatively large PSD peaks at approximately 5–10 min were observed at all CCTV locations in this study and at offshore wave observation points (Tanaka and Toyama). At Yokoyama, a maximum run-up of approximately 3 m was confirmed around 16:28. Although water level fluctuations at Shimoiino and Ekko were detected, identifying tsunami components proved challenging due to their small magnitude compared to other wave components. Despite these challenges, this study demonstrates the potential of CCTV networks for tsunami detection, and further research is needed to achieve real-time detection.

Coastal flood damage is primarily the result of extreme sea levels. Climate change is expected to drive an increase in these extremes. While proper estimation of changes in storm surges is essential to estimate changes in extreme sea levels, there remains low confidence in future trends of surge contribution to extreme sea levels. Alerting local populations of imminent extreme sea levels is also critical to protecting coastal populations. Both predicting and projecting extreme sea levels require reliable numerical prediction systems. The SurgeMIP (surge model intercomparison) community has been established to tackle such challenges. Efforts to intercompare storm surge prediction systems and coordinate the community's prediction and projection efforts are introduced. An overview of past and recent advances in storm surge science such as physical processes to consider and the recent development of global forecasting systems are briefly introduced. Selected historical events and drivers behind fast increasing service and knowledge requirements for emergency response to adaptation considerations are also discussed. The community's initial plans and recent progress are introduced. These include the establishment of an intercomparison project, the identification of research and development gaps, and the introduction of efforts to coordinate projections that span multiple climate scenarios.

The risk of high river flow and peak storm surge superimposing in the estuary of small-and medium-sized rivers can be more severe during typhoon landfalls than at other times. In this study, 30 cases of typhoon track ensemble experiments for five rivers in Mikawa Bay, Japan, were evaluated using an atmospheric-river-ocean model. The results showed that storm surges coincided with high river flows when typhoons crossed the western side of Mikawa Bay, with the highest potential observed when typhoons passed northwest of the Bay. The average time discrepancy for the five rivers between the storm surge occurrence and increased river flow in the minimum time difference case was 48 min at the river mouth. Distinct trends in the time difference between a storm surge and river flow were observed for each river mouth. The order of time differences corresponded to the drainage area scale: Toyo (188 min), Umeda (112 min), Otowa (114 min), Sana (96 min), and Yagyu (88 min). Time difference trends also varied based on the distance between the typhoon center and each river mouth. For Toyo River, storm surges and high river flows did not substantially overlap, regardless of distance. However, for medium-and small-sized rivers, the time difference increased proportionally with the distance from the typhoon. The Yagyu River showed the highest potential for compound occurrence of a storm surge and river flood because of the synchronization of storm surge peaks and high river flow peaks, with a time difference of 1–2 h for small-and medium-sized rivers within 100 km2 of the basin.

The Seto Inland Sea (SIS) is the largest semienclosed coastal sea in Japan and has three connections with the outer seas. When a typhoon approached the SIS in September 2011, spatial variations of sea level elevation were observed across the SIS. Additionally, an unusual sea level rise (abnormal surge) occurred in Hiroshima Bay approximately 8 days after the typhoon passed, with the Itsukushima Shrine in the bay flooded by the surge. To understand the mechanism of the abnormal surge in the bay and the relationship between sea level variations and circulation in the SIS, we investigated the 2011 event by applying a high-resolution numerical ocean circulation model using SCHISM with bias correction for sea surface heights (SSHs) at the open boundary. The overall easterly throughflow due to the west-high east-low SSH pattern in the SIS and temporary SSH disturbances due to typhoons were well reproduced in the model results. Among the three connections, the Bungo Channel mainly determined the overall net flux into the SIS and contributed significantly to sea level variations within the SIS. Additionally, the Kii Channel played more crucial roles in shaping the circulation and local sea level variations. The Kanmon Strait exhibited minor impacts. The abnormal tide in Hiroshima Bay was mainly attributed to seawater flux input from the outer seas, in conjunction with the subtidal internal seiche with the bay. The results will help us to further understand the physical processes of the ocean and establish evidence-based safety plans for reducing natural hazard damage.

Abstract The d4PDF-WaveHs dataset represents the first single model initial-condition large ensemble of historical significant ocean wave height (H s ) at a global scale. It was produced using an advanced statistical model with predictors derived from Japan’s d4PDF ensemble of historical simulations of sea level pressure. d4PDF-WaveHs provides 100 realizations of H s for the period 1951–2010 (hence 6,000 years of data) on a 1° × 1° lat.-long. grid. Technical comparison of model skill against modern reanalysis and other historical wave datasets was undertaken at global and regional scales. d4PDF-WaveHs provides unique data to understand better the poorly known role of internal climate variability in ocean wave climate, which can be used to estimate better trend signals. It also provides a better sampling of extreme events. Overall, this is crucial to properly assess wave-driven impacts, such as extreme sea levels on low-lying populated coastal areas. This dataset may be of interest to a variety of researchers, engineers and stakeholders in the fields of climate science, oceanography, coastal management, offshore engineering, and energy resource development.

Abstract The 2022 eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano excited an atmospheric Lamb wave, which induced a fast-traveling tsunami. This tsunami was driven by the pressure-forced wave traveling at the speed of the Lamb wave and, thus, was much faster than conventional tsunamis. This was the first case in which ocean bottom monitoring systems widely observed an air pressure-induced tsunami. We found that the pressure-forced waves split and generated ocean gravity waves after passing the Japan Trench based on the S-net data. Our simulations show that changes in water depth can amplify or decrease the pressure-forced wave. Simultaneously, an ocean gravity wave is generated due to the conservation of water volume. Because the ocean gravity wave was slower than the pressure-forced wave near Japan, it was separated from, and traveled behind, the pressure-forced wave. We explained the wave separation phenomenon and reproduced the waveforms of different splitting stages observed by the stations near the Japan Trench. Graphical Abstract

The Itsukushima Shrine is located in northern Hiroshima Bay in the Seto Inland Sea (SIS). This structure of great cultural value is preserved as one of the World Heritage Sites in Japan. The shrine was built seaside, 30 cm above the highest tide, to prevent it from submerging. However, from 2011 to 2019, the shrine was submerged four times during September due to internal surges. To study the abnormal tide event on 29 September 2011, a high-resolution numerical ocean circulation model was established using Semi-implicit Cross-scale Hydroscience Integrated System Model (SCHISM). Observed subtidal components of surface elevation in the northern part of the bay decreased due to northerly winds when the typhoon passed east off the bay. After 7–8 days of typhoon passage, the component increased abnormally in the northern part of the bay. Simulation results revealed that a destabilized density stratification by the typhoon winds most likely caused bay-scale internal waves. The internal wave developed after the typhoon passed and was caught from the kinetic energy filtered in the possible internal wave periods. The internal wave propagated southward after the typhoon passage and returned to the northern bay, causing the subtidal component to increase after 7–8 days. Sensitivity tests with various scales of the typhoon were performed, and the test results exhibited a positive relationship between the abnormal tide level and typhoon intensity to some extent. The results can be generally applied to a semi-closed bay or closed water body for internal wave generation and propagation under specific meteorological conditions for coastal protection and disaster prevention.

Objectives To examine the national, 6-year trends in in-hospital clinical outcomes of patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) who underwent clipping or coiling and the prognostic influence of temporal trends in the Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) capabilities on patient outcomes in Japan.Design Retrospective study.Setting Six hundred and thirty-one primary care institutions in Japan.Participants Forty-five thousand and eleven patients with SAH who were urgently hospitalised, identified using the J-ASPECT Diagnosis Procedure Combination database.Primary and secondary outcome measures Annual number of patients with SAH who remained untreated, or who received clipping or coiling, in-hospital mortality and poor functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale: 3–6) at discharge. Each CSC was assessed using a validated scoring system (CSC score: 1–25 points).Results In the overall cohort, in-hospital mortality decreased (year for trend, OR (95% CI): 0.97 (0.96 to 0.99)), while the proportion of poor functional outcomes remained unchanged (1.00 (0.98 to 1.02)). The proportion of patients who underwent clipping gradually decreased from 46.6% to 38.5%, while that of those who received coiling and those left untreated gradually increased from 16.9% to 22.6% and 35.4% to 38%, respectively. In-hospital mortality of coiled (0.94 (0.89 to 0.98)) and untreated (0.93 (0.90 to 0.96)) patients decreased, whereas that of clipped patients remained stable. CSC score improvement was associated with increased use of coiling (per 1-point increase, 1.14 (1.08 to 1.20)) but not with short-term patient outcomes regardless of treatment modality.Conclusions The 6-year trends indicated lower in-hospital mortality for patients with SAH (attributable to better outcomes), increased use of coiling and multidisciplinary care for untreated patients. Further increasing CSC capabilities may improve overall outcomes, mainly by increasing the use of coiling. Additional studies are necessary to determine the effect of confounders such as aneurysm complexity on outcomes of clipped patients in the modern endovascular era.

Tropical cyclones (TCs) cause severe coastal flooding in the middle latitudes. While the IPCC Fifth Assessment Reports (AR5, 2013) have focused on mean sea-level rise, recent advances (e.g., IPCC Sixth Assessment Reports, AR6, 2021) have shown the importance of storm surges and wave changes in extreme water levels causing coastal flooding. Both TC intensity and track changes are linked to future changes in extreme storm surges and wave climates in middle latitudes. This brief review summarizes historical and future long-term changes in extreme water levels, the contribution of increased storm surges, and wave height by the monitoring data and climate projections. In addition, several examples of impact assessment of storm surges and extreme wave changes are presented.

Abstract Risk mitigation policies (like dike rising) are essential to address increasing coastal flood risks due to global warming. Furthermore, the optimal level of risk mitigation policy should be determined by public preferences for risk reduction. However, it is difficult to reveal public preferences for coastal flood risk reduction because projections of coastal flood risks inevitably involve uncertainty. This study aims to estimate household preference for coastal flood reduction under ambiguity and multiple projections of coastal flood risks. By coupling storm surge inundation simulations and stated preference experiments with decision models, we estimate the expected loss reduction, risk premium, and ambiguity premium for coastal flood risk mitigation policies. The study shows that ignoring the ambiguity premium causes significant undervaluation of coastal flood risk mitigation.

Integrated disaster resilience approaches are paramount for enhancing risk management of coastal communities in subduction zones under climate-geological risks. Cascading compounding climate-geological risks are dynamic, interact, and evolve with time. Also, classical convolution of hazard, vulnerability, and exposure does not allow easy implementation of causalities and dependencies that are critical in modelling impact chains due to cascading compounding multi-hazards. A new dynamic multi-hazard catastrophe modelling framework is proposed to fill important research gaps in the temporal evolution of climate-geological risks. Systemic modelling is a key tool where time-dependent and interacting risks are explicitly modelled, and multiple risk metrics can be computed. Furthermore, a possible new entropy-based approach for harmonising risk metrics is presented. Such a harmonisation can facilitate the decision-making process for disaster risk reduction. Finally, a way forward for future implementation of the proposed methodologies is discussed with a focus on the need for the development of new numerical and analytical tools.

This study assesses the effects of internal climate variability on wave height trend assessment using the d4PDF-WaveHs, the first single model initial-condition large ensemble (100-member) of significant wave height (Hs) simulations for the 1951–2010 period, which was produced using sea level pressure taken from Japan’s d4PDF ensemble of historical climate simulations. Here, the focus is on assessing trends in annual mean and maximum Hs. The result is compared with other model simulations that account for other sources of uncertainty, and with modern wave reanalyses. It is shown that the trend variability arising from internal climate variability is comparable to the variability caused by other factors, such as climate model uncertainty. This study also assesses the likelihood to mis-estimate trends when using only one ensemble member and therefore one possible realization of the climate system. Using single member failed to detect the statistically significant notable positive trend shown in the ensemble in some areas of the Southern Ocean. The North Atlantic Ocean is found to have large internal climate variability, where different ensemble-members can show trends of the opposite signs for the same area. The minimum ensemble size necessary to effectively reduce the risk of mis-assessing Hs trends is estimated to be 10; but this largely depends on the specific wave statistic and the region of interest, with larger ensembles being required to assess extremes. The results also show that wave reanalyses are not suitable for analyzing Hs trends due to temporal inhomogeneities therein, in agreement with recent studies.

Abstract Raman scattering represents the distribution and abundance of intracellular molecules, including proteins and lipids, facilitating distinction between cellular states non-invasively and without staining. However, the scattered light obtained from cells is faint and cells have complex structures, making it difficult to obtain a Raman spectrum covering the entire cell in a short time using conventional methods. This also prevents efficient label-free cell classification. In the present study, we developed the Paint Raman Express Spectroscopy System, which uses two fast-rotating galvano mirrors to obtain spectra from a wide area of a cell. By using this system and applying machine learning, we were able to acquire broad spectra of a variety of human and mouse cell types, including pluripotent stem cells and confirmed that each cell type can be classified with high accuracy. Moreover, we classified different activation states of human T cells, despite their similar morphology. This system could be used for rapid and low-cost drug evaluation and quality management for drug screening in cell-based assays.

Abstract Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the key components of the densely proliferated stroma in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and contribute to tumor progression and drug resistance. CAFs comprise heterogeneous subpopulations playing unique and vital roles. However, the commonly used mouse models have not been able to fully reproduce the histological and functional characteristics of clinical human CAF. Here, we generated a human cell-derived stroma-rich CDX (Sr-CDX) model, to reproduce the clinical tumor microenvironment. By co-transplanting human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) and a human PDAC cell line (Capan-1) into mice, the Sr-CDX model recapitulated the characteristics of clinical pancreatic cancer, such as accelerated tumor growth, abundant stromal proliferation, chemoresistance, and dense stroma formed from the heterogeneous CAFs. Global RNA sequencing, single-cell based RNA sequencing, and histological analysis of CAFs in the Sr-CDX model revealed that the CAFs of the Sr-CDX mice were derived from the transplanted AD-MSCs and composed of heterogeneous subpopulations of CAF, including known and unknown subtypes. These lines of evidences suggest that our new tumor-bearing mouse model has the potential to address an open question in CAF research, that is the mechanism of CAF differentiation.

The electrical grid of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico, operates separately from the National Interconnected System, with Baja California connected to the Western Electricity Coordinating Council of the USA; and Baja California Sur having an isolated, independent network. Based on the need for alternative renewable sources of electricity generation in the region, this work evaluates the wave energy power at specific locations on the Pacific coast of the peninsula, and identifies wave generation sites (WEGS). The WEGS were defined as rocky shore sites associated with a wave energy potential of over 10 kW/m (where the installation of oscillating water columns (OWC) is feasible) and the presence of coastal settlements that are less than 10 km from the shoreline. It was found that 370 km of the Pacific coast of the peninsula have characteristics suitable for the installation of OWC, and up to 1.4 million inhabitants could be benefited by this wave energy harvesting.

Oceania comprises many Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the majority of which are founded on volcanic islands. Small islands are generally vulnerable to the effects of climate change. However, a high number of islands and different coastal morphology make it challenging to accurately estimate climate change impact on this region. Nevertheless, quantifying hazards and thus assessing vulnerability is crucial for policymaking and adaptation efforts regarding SIDS. Meanwhile, Viti Levu is the principal island of Fiji. Therefore, climate change projection in Viti Levu helps estimate how volcanic islands in Oceania will be affected under future climate. This study projects the compound impact of storm surge by tropical cyclone (TC) and SLR on Viti Levu under current and future climate conditions. The primary goal of this study is to estimate the impact of extreme 50- and 100-years return storms on coastal areas and populations. This study also assesses the impact of the bias correction of TC intensity for impact assessment. Even though limited to one island, the results could facilitate the application on other volcanic islands, primarily in Melanesia. Even though Viti Levu is a high island, tropical cyclones can sustain extensive economic damage and result in high numbers of the temporarily displaced population in some low-lying coastal locations. The results show that bias can be significant when comparing observed and estimated datasets, particularly for less intense and future extreme events.

Cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are key components of the dense, proliferating stroma observed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and CAF subpopulations drive tumor heterogeneity and play a major role in PDAC progression and drug resistance. CAFs consist of heterogenous subpopulations such as myoblastic CAF (myCAF) and inflammatory CAF (iCAF), and each has distinct essential roles. However, it is not clear how CAF subpopulations are formed in PDAC. Adipose‐derived MSCs (AD‐MSCs), which possess a high multilineage potential and self‐renewal capacity, are reported to be one of the in vivo CAF sources. Here, we aimed to investigate whether AD‐MSCs can act as precursors for CAFs in vitro. We recorded morphological features and collected omics data from two in vitro co‐culture models for recapitulating clinical PDAC. Additionally, we tested the advantages of the co‐culture model in terms of accurately modeling morphology and CAF heterogeneity. We showed that AD‐MSCs differentiate into two distinct CAF subpopulations: Direct contact co‐culture with PDAC cell line Capan‐1 induced differentiation into myCAFs and iCAFs, while indirect co‐culture induced differentiation into only iCAFs. Using these co‐culture systems, we also identified novel CAF markers that may be helpful for elucidating the mechanisms of CAFs in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In conclusion, AD‐MSCs can differentiate into distinct CAF subtypes depending on the different co‐culture conditions in vitro, and the identification of potential CAF markers may aid in future investigations of the mechanisms underlying the role of CAFs in the TME.

Tubular 3D liver tissue with enhanced capillary‐like structures branching from a large main channel is potentially useful for drug discovery because the perfusable main channel and capillary‐like structures enable mass transfer into and out from the tissue. Tubular liver tissue is comprised of the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), using a perfusion device functioning as the interface for an external pump. This study aimed to compare the expression of genes involved in drug metabolism between 2D‐cultured hepatocellular carcinoma cells and 3D‐cultured tubular liver tissue. Gene expression profiles of 2D‐cultured cells and tubular liver tissue were compared using RNA sequencing. Multidimensional scaling analysis revealed that culture dimensionality had a more prominent effect on gene expression profiles than perfusion conditions. More specifically, genes involved in drug metabolism such as CYP2D6, CYP2E1, NNMT, and SLC28A1 were slightly upregulated in the 3D cultures, while certain genes such as ALDH1B1, ALDH1A2, and SULT1E1 were downregulated. These results indicate that gene expression profiles are largely influenced by culture dimensionality and are potentially useful to researchers intending to switch from 2D culture to 3D culture of hepatocellular carcinoma or other tissue types.

Abstract A large-ensemble climate simulation database, which is known as the database for policy decision-making for future climate changes (d4PDF), was designed for climate change risk assessments. Since the completion of the first set of climate simulations in 2015, the database has been growing continuously. It contains the results of ensemble simulations conducted over a total of thousands years respectively for past and future climates using high-resolution global (60 km horizontal mesh) and regional (20 km mesh) atmospheric models. Several sets of future climate simulations are available, in which global mean surface air temperatures are forced to be higher by 4 K, 2 K, and 1.5 K relative to preindustrial levels. Nonwarming past climate simulations are incorporated in d4PDF along with the past climate simulations. The total data volume is approximately 2 petabytes. The atmospheric models satisfactorily simulate the past climate in terms of climatology, natural variations, and extreme events such as heavy precipitation and tropical cyclones. In addition, data users can obtain statistically significant changes in mean states or weather and climate extremes of interest between the past and future climates via a simple arithmetic computation without any statistical assumptions. The database is helpful in understanding future changes in climate states and in attributing past climate events to global warming. Impact assessment studies for climate changes have concurrently been performed in various research areas such as natural hazard, hydrology, civil engineering, agriculture, health, and insurance. The database has now become essential for promoting climate and risk assessment studies and for devising climate adaptation policies. Moreover, it has helped in establishing an interdisciplinary research community on global warming across Japan.

Mangroves are able to attenuate tsunamis, storm surges, and waves. Their protective function against wave disasters is gaining increasing attention as a typical example of the green infrastructure/Eco-DRR (Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction) in coastal regions. Hydrodynamic models commonly employed additional friction or a drag forcing term to represent mangrove-induced energy dissipation for simplicity. The well-known Morison-type formula (Morison et al. 1950) has been considered appropriate to model vegetation-induced resistance in which the information of the geometric properties of mangroves, including the root system, is needed. However, idealized vegetation configurations mainly were applied in the existing numerical models, and only a few field observations provided the empirical parameterization of the complex mangrove root structures. In this study, we conducted field surveys on the Iriomote Island of Okinawa, Japan, and Tarawa, Kiribati. We measured the representative parameters for the geometric properties of mangroves, Rhizophora stylosa, and their root system. By analyzing the data, significant correlations for hydrodynamic modeling were found among the key parameters such as the trunk diameter at breast height (DBH), the tree height H, the height of prop roots, and the projected areas of the root system. We also discussed the correlation of these representative factors with the tree age. These empirical relationships are summarized for numerical modeling at the end.

The Pacific region consists of numerous Small Island Developing States (SIDS), one of the most vulnerable to flooding caused by compound effects of sea level rise (SLR) and storms. Nevertheless, individual studies regarding the impact assessment for SIDS, such as the low-lying Kiribati, remain scarce. This study assessed the impact of climate change-induced storm surge and SLR compounding effects on Tarawa, the most populous atoll of Kiribati, the largest coral atoll nation. It projected the impact using a combined dynamic surge and SLR model based on the IPCC AR5 RCP scenarios and 1/100 and 1/50 years return period storm events. This approach allows estimating the inundation scope and the consecutive exposed population by the end of the 21st century. The results of this study show that the pace of SLR is pivotal for Tarawa, as the sea level rise alone can claim more than 50% of the territory and pose a threat to over 60% of the population under the most intense greenhouse gas emissions scenario. Furthermore, most coasts on the lagoon side are particularly vulnerable. In contrast, the contribution of extreme events is generally minimal due to low wind speeds and the absence of tropical cyclones (TC). Despite this, it is clear the compound effects are critical and may inescapably bring drastic changes to the atoll nations by the end of this century. The impact assessment in this study draws attention to the social impact of climate change on SIDS, most notably atoll islands, and evaluates their adaptation potential.

Scars are composed of stiff collagen fibers, which contract strongly owing to the action of myofibroblasts. To explore the substances that modulate scar contracture, the fibroblast-populated collagen lattice (FPCL) model has been used. However, the molecular signature of the patient-derived FPCL model has not been verified. Here, we examined whether the patient-derived keloid FPCL model reflects scar contraction, analyzing detailed gene expression changes using comprehensive RNA sequencing and histological morphology, and revealed that these models are consistent with the changes during human scar contracture. Moreover, we examined whether conditioned media derived from adipose stem cells (ASC-CM) suppress the scar contracture of the collagen disc. Detailed time-series measurements of changes in disc area showed that the addition of ASC-CM significantly inhibited the shrinkage of collagen discs. In addition, a deep sequencing data analysis revealed that ASC-CM suppressed inflammation-related gene expression in the early phase of contraction; in the later phase, this suppression was gradually replaced by extracellular matrix (ECM)-related gene expression. These lines of data suggested the effectiveness of ASC-CM in suppressing scar contractures. Therefore, the molecular analysis of the ASC-CM actions found in this study will contribute to solving medical problems regarding pathological scarring in wound prognosis.

Climate change due to global warming is expected to have major impacts on phenomena such as tropical cyclones (TCs), Baiu, precipitation, and seasonal storms. Many natural disasters in East Asia are driven by TC (typhoon) activity in particular and their associated hazards are sensitive to local-scale characteristics. As such, it is critically important to numerically simulate TC activity (and other phenomenon) on local scales in order to properly assess climate change impacts on natural hazards in the region. In addition, projecting future changes of many TC-related hazards and/or their potential economic impacts can be challenging due to their low occurrence frequencies in any one particular area. With these views in mind, a collaborative research program was formed in Japan to project long-term changes in natural hazards in Japan and East Asia based on local-scale and large-ensemble numerical experiments. This paper reviews recent climate change impact assessments (written in both English and Japanese) from the program and summarizes the projected future changes in precipitation, river flooding, and coastal hazards, and their associated economic impacts.

Hindcasts of the downscaled fine resolution scale coastal dynamics are important to quantitatively analyze variations in storm surge heights, water temperature, salinity and high velocities which induce shoreline changes. This study quantifies the impact of two extreme storm surge events in October 2006 on the Ibaraki Coast in Japan to the coastal Sea Surface Height (SSH), vertically averaged velocity (Vbar), Sea Surface Temperature (SST), and Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) by reproducing hindcasts of the dynamically downscaled coastal dynamics from a 10 km resolution parent dataset (Four-dimensional Variational Ocean ReAnalysis for the Western North Pacific over 30 years, FORA-WNP30) to related 2 km, 667 and 222 m resolution datasets using three domain nesting Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment-Transport Modeling System (COAWST). Validation was made by comparing the SSH, Vbar, SST, and SSS modeled results with observed data and discussing differences in their values in the downscaled and the parent datasets. This study concludes that the low-pressure system event on October 7 had much bigger impact to the SSH and Vbar than the one on October 24, which had similar peak of southward surface wind but lower Sea Level Pressure drop, whereas the impact to the SST and SSS was similar. These findings are helpful in understanding and assessing shoreline changes and damages on the well-developed local fishery and seashell industry. Finally, these findings and modeling approach are useful for climate change impact assessment and can ultimately serve as guidelines for developing adaptation policies.

Projecting the sea level rise (SLR), storm surges, and related inundation in the Pacific Islands due to climate change is important for assessing the impact of climate change on coastal regions as well as the adaptation of the coastal regions. The compounding effects of storm surges and SLR are one of the major causes of flooding and extreme events; however, a quantitative impact assessment that considers the topographical features of the island has not been properly conducted.Therefore, this study projects the impact of storm surge and SLR due to climate change on Viti Levu, which is the biggest and most populous island in Fiji. The impact of SLR on the inundation in coastal areas was simulated using a dynamic model based on the IPCC SROCC scenarios and the 1/100 years return period storm surge implemented based on the RCP8.5 equivalent scenario. The affected inundation area and population due to storm surges and SLRs are discussed based on the compound effects of SLR and storm surge.Although the contribution of SLR to the inundation area was quite significant, the 1/100 year storm surge increased by 10 to 50% of the inundation area. In addition, a narrow and shallow bay with a flat land area had the largest impact of storm surge inundation. Furthermore, the western wind direction had the most severe storm surge inundation and related population exposure due to the topographic and bathymetric characteristics of Viti Levu Island.

Multiple cascading hazards triggered by the 2018 Sulawesi, Indonesia, earthquake caused various compounding consequences. A major strike-slip fault movement with along-dip components resulted in intense ground shaking, liquefaction and lateral spreading, large-scale mudflows, and tsunamis. This paper presents observations of such multi-hazard effects on buildings and infrastructure in areas along Palu Bay, based on field reconnaissance work, and discusses the main causes of the disaster by focusing upon the combined effects of the cascading geological hazards. To evaluate the tsunami risk potential of the strike-slip event, tsunami simulations for the 2018 Sulawesi earthquake are performed by considering different model settings for spatial earthquake slip distribution, rake angle, astronomical tidal effect, and co-seismic ground deformation. The numerical results indicate that the co-seismic rupture of a moment magnitude 7.5 strike-slip earthquake, having notable dip components can generate damaging tsunami waves at coastal locations of Palu Bay. The conclusion has important implications for future tsunami hazard assessments in active seismic regions where major fault systems cut across a bay or into the sea.

This study conducted a physical model experiment to investigate inundation processes in a complex coastal city model using the Hybrid Tsunami Open Flume in Ujigawa Open Laboratory (HyTOFU). The physical model was constructed at a 1:250 scale as an idealization of the coastal town of Onagawa. Two tsunami waveforms were used, hydraulic bore and solitary wave, which were produced by a pump-type wave generator and a mechanical piston-type wave generator, respectively, at HyTOFU. Tsunami wave generation similar to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake tsunami in Onagawa was successfully reproduced, and the spatial distribution of the tsunami wave propagation and inundation processes on land was clearly observed. A comparison of experimental and numerical models was performed using two-dimensional (2D) and quasi-three-dimensional (Q3D) models. The 2D and Q3D results agreed well with the experimental results in terms of maximum water surface elevations and arrival times for hydraulic bore conditions. For solitary wave trials, the maximum water surface elevations of the 2D results were underestimated, and the arrival times in the numerical models were slower than those in the experimental results. In this study, as a benchmark for the 2011 Tohoku earthquake tsunami, the dataset of tsunami inundation is provided, which will be useful to validate other numerical tsunami models.

Artificial vascularized tubular liver tissue has perfusable blood vessels that allow fluid access to the tissue interior, enabling the injection of drugs and collection of metabolites, which are valuable for drug discovery. It is amenable to standard evaluation methods, such as paraffin-embedded sectioning, qPCR, and RNA sequencing, which makes it easy to implement into existing research processes. However, the application of tissues vascularized by the self-assembly of cells, (including tubular liver tissue, has not yet been tested in comprehensive proteomic analysis relevant for drug discovery. Here, we established a method to efficiently separate cells from the tubular liver tissue by adding a pipetting step during collagenase treatment. By using this method, we succeeded in obtaining a sufficient number of cells for the proteomic analysis. In addition, to validate this approach, we compared the cells separated from the tissue with those grown in 2D culture, focusing on the proteins related to drug metabolism. We found that the levels of proteins involved in metabolic phases II and III were slightly higher in the tubular liver tissue than those in the 2D cell culture. Taken together, our suggested method demonstrates the applicability of tubular liver tissue to the proteomic analysis in drug assays.

Extreme surface ocean waves are often primary drivers of coastal flooding and erosion over various time scales. Hence, understanding future changes in extreme wave events owing to global warming is of socio-economic and environmental significance. However, our current knowledge of potential changes in high-frequency (defined here as having return periods of less than 1 year) extreme wave events are largely unknown, despite being strongly linked to coastal hazards across time scales relevant to coastal management. Here, we present global climate-modeling evidence, based on the most comprehensive multi-method, multi-model wave ensemble, of projected changes in a core set of extreme wave indices describing high-frequency, extra-tropical storm-driven waves. We find changes in high-frequency extreme wave events of up to ∼50%–100% under RCP8.5 high-emission scenario; which is nearly double the expected changes for RCP4.5 scenario, when globally integrated. The projected changes exhibit strong inter-hemispheric asymmetry, with strong increases in extreme wave activity across the tropics and high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere region, and a widespread decrease across most of the Northern Hemisphere. We find that the patterns of projected increase across these extreme wave events over the Southern Hemisphere region resemble their historical response to the positive anomaly of the Southern Annular Mode. Our findings highlight that many countries with low-adaptive capacity are likely to face increasing exposure to much more frequent extreme wave events in the future.

Tropical cyclones generate severe hazards in the middle latitudes. A brief review and applications of dynamical and statistical downscaling of tropical cyclone (TC) are described targeting extreme storm surge and storm wave hazard assessment. First, a review of the current understanding of the changes in the characteristics of TCs in the past and in the future is shown. Then, a review and ongoing research about impact assessment of tropical cyclones both dynamical downscaling and statistical model are described for Typhoon Vera in 1959 and Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Finally, several examples of impact assessment of storm surge and extreme wave changes are presented. Changes in both TC intensity and track are linked to future changes in extreme storm surge and wave climate in middle latitude.

This study develops a novel computational framework to carry out probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment for the Pacific coast of Mexico. The new approach enables the consideration of stochastic tsunami source scenarios having variable fault geometry and heterogeneous slip that are constrained by an extensive database of rupture models for historical earthquakes around the world. The assessment focuses upon the 1995 Jalisco–Colima Earthquake Tsunami from a retrospective viewpoint. Numerous source scenarios of large subduction earthquakes are generated to assess the sensitivity and variability of tsunami inundation characteristics of the target region. Analyses of nine slip models along the Mexican Pacific coast are performed, and statistical characteristics of slips (e.g., coherent structures of slip spectra) are estimated. The source variability allows exploring a wide range of tsunami scenarios for a moment magnitude (Mw) 8 subduction earthquake in the Mexican Pacific region to conduct thorough sensitivity analyses and to quantify the tsunami height variability. The numerical results indicate a strong sensitivity of maximum tsunami height to major slip locations in the source and indicate major uncertainty at the first peak of tsunami waves.

This study proposes a microfluidic spinning method to form alginate microfibers with branched and chained structures by controlling two streams of a sodium alginate solution extruded from a theta-glass capillary (a double-compartmented glass capillary). The two streams have three flow regimes: (i) a combined flow regime (single-threaded stream), (ii) a separated flow regime (double-threaded stream), and (iii) a chained flow regime (stream of repeating single- and double-threaded streams). The flow rate of the sodium alginate solution and the tip diameter of the theta-glass capillary are the two parameters which decide the flow regime. By controlling the two parameters, we form branched (a Y-shaped structure composed of thick parent fiber and permanently divided two thin fibers) and chained (a repeating structure of single- and double-threaded fibers with constant frequency) alginate microfibers with various dimensions. Furthermore, we demonstrate the applicability of the alginate microfibers as sacrificial templates for the formation of chain-shaped microchannels with two inlets. Such microchannels could mimic the structure of blood vessels and are applicable for the research fields of fluidics including hemodynamics.

Understanding the changes in future storm wave climate is crucial for coastal managers and planners to make informed decisions required for sustainable coastal management and for the renewable energy industry. To investigate potential future changes to storm climate around the UK, global wave model outputs of two time slice experiments were analysed with 1979–2009 representing present conditions and 2075–2100 representing the future climate. Three WaveNet buoy sites around the United Kingdom, which represent diverse site conditions and have long datasets, were chosen for this study. A storm event definition (Dissanayake et al., 2015) was used to separate meteorologically-independent storm events from wave data, which in turn allowed storm wave characteristics to be analysed. Model outputs were validated through a comparison of the modelled storm data with observed storm data for overlapping periods. Although no consistent trends across all future clusters were observed, there were no significant increases in storm wave height, storm count or storm power in the future, at least according to the global wave projection results provided by the chosen model.

Effects of climate change on the worst case scenario of a storm surge induced by a super typhoon in the present climate are investigated through the case study of Typhoon Haiyan. We present the results of our investigation on super-typhoon Haiyan by using a super high resolution (1 km grid) regional model that explicitly handles cloud microphysical processes. As the parent model, we adopted the operational weekly ensemble experiments (60 km grid) of the Japan Meteorological Agency, and compared experiments using sea surface temperatures and atmospheric environmental parameters from before the beginning of anthropogenic climate change (150 years ago) with those using observed values throughout the typhoon. We were able not only to represent the typhoon’s intensity but also to evaluate the influences of climate change on worst case storm surges in the Gulf of Leyte due to a typhoon with high robustness. In 15 of 16 ensemble experiments, the intensity of the simulated worst case storm in the actual conditions was stronger than that in a hypothetical natural condition without historical anthropogenic forcing during the past 150 years. The intensity of the typhoon is translated to a disaster metric by simulating the storm surge height by using a shallow-water long-wave model. The result indicates that the worst case scenario of a storm surge in the Gulf of Leyte may be worse by 20%, though changes in frequency of such events are not accounted for here.