Land‐atmospheric interactions are complex and variable in space and time. On average soil moisture‐temperature coupling is expected to be stronger in transition zones between wet and dry climates. During heatwaves anomalously high coupling may be found in areas of soil moisture deficit and high atmospheric demand of water. Here a new approach is applied to satellite andin situobservations towards the characterization of regions of intense soil moisture‐temperature coupling, both in terms of climatology and anomalies during heatwaves. The resulting average summertime couplinghot spotsreflect intermediate climatic regions in agreement with previous studies. Results at heatwave‐scale suggest a minor role of soil moisture deficit during the heatwave of 2006 in California but an important one in the 2003 event in Western Europe. Progress towards near‐real time satellite products may allow the application of the approach to aid prediction and management of warm extremes.

Purpose: Prenatal screening should enable pregnant women to make informed choices. An informed decision is defined as being based on sufficient, relevant information and consistent with the decision maker's values. This study aims to assess to what extent pregnant women make informed choices about prenatal screening, and to assess the psychological effects of informed decision-making. Methods: The study sample consisted of 1159 pregnant women who were offered the nuchal translucency measurement or the maternal serum screening test.Level of knowledge, value consistency, informed choice, decisional conflict, satisfaction with decision, and anxiety were measured using questionnaires. Results: Of the participants, 83% were classified as having sufficient knowledge about prenatal screening, 82% made a value-consistent decision to accept or decline prenatal screening, and 68% made an informed decision. Informed choice was associated with more satisfaction with the decision, less decisional conflict (this applied only to test acceptors), but was not associated with less anxiety. Conclusion:Although the rate of informed choice is relatively high, substantial percentages of women making uninformed choices due to insufficient knowledge, value inconsistency, or both, were found. Informed choice appeared to be psychologically beneficial. The present study underlines the importance of achieving informed choice in the context of prenatal screening. Genet Med 2005:7(5):332-338.

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