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Approaches that root national climate strategies in local actions will be essential for all countries as they develop new nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement. The potential impact of climate action from non-national actors in delivering higher global ambition is significant. Sub-national action in the United States provides a test for how such actions can accelerate emissions reductions. We aggregated U.S. state, city, and business commitments within an integrated assessment model to assess how a national climate strategy can be built upon non-state actions. We find that existing commitments alone could reduce emissions 25% below 2005 levels by 2030, and that enhancing actions by these actors could reduce emissions up to 37%. We show how these actions can provide a stepped-up basis for additional federal action to reduce emissions by 49%—consistent with 1.5 °C. Our analysis demonstrates sub-national actions can lead to substantial reductions and support increased national action. Climate action from local actors is vital in achieving nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement. Here the authors show that existing commitments from U.S. states, cities and business could reduce emissions 25% below 2005 levels by 2030, with expanded subnational action reducing emissions by 37% and federal action by up to 49%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on Pennsylvania's legacy in the history of punishment in the U.S., with topics that include modes of resistance to carceral authorities, and the role of whiteness in granting protection for some inmates.

The article offers insight to the history of prisons prior mass incarceration in the U.S. Topics discussed include issues surrounding growing population and increasing criminalization of poverty; history of women in prisons; and transformation of ideologies for abolishing prisons and enabling people to get the addiction treatment, mental health care, and education.

Purpose. Information to guide clinicians in educating and advising patients using or intending to use essential oils for self-administered aromatherapy or other medicinal purposes is presented. Summary. The term essential oils refers to highly concentrated, aromatic oils extracted from plants by steam distillation, hydrodiffusion, or pressure. Market reports indicate strong growth in the use of essential oils in the United States in recent decades. Therapeutic claims made in the marketing of essential oils have led the Food and Drug Administration to caution a number of suppliers. Along with rapid growth in sales of essential oils to consumers there has been an increase in the amount of published evidence regarding aromatherapy and essential oils; the annual number of relevant articles indexed using Medical Subject Headings terminology has doubled since 2004. In order to help ensure proper application and safe use of essential oils as a self-care modality, healthcare professionals can benefit from a general knowledge of the terminology and foundational concepts of medicinal use of essential oils, as well as resources to facilitate evaluations of appropriateness of use. Conclusion. Because of the increasing popularity of essential oils and the prevalence of essential oil--based self-care practices targeting a wide variety of ailments in the United States, healthcare professionals must be prepared to address concerns about the agents' safety and efficacy. Proper literature evaluation requires the ability to discern the quality of an oil, the safety of administration, and the validity of its use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay focuses on New York State penitentiaries and mentions racial differences and gendered ideologies of violence in the penitentiaries. Topics discussed include history of violence against women prisoners, violence against black women and immigrant white women and racism in punishment. Other topics such as criminal reforms are also mentioned.

Background: Among the unique features of the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) Program is the requirement for each Consortium to include patient advocacy groups (PAGs) as research partners. This development has transformed the work of the RDCRN and is a model for collaborative research. This article outlines the roles patients and PAGs play in the RDCRN and reports on the PAGs' impact on the Network's success.Methods: Principal Investigators from the 17 RDCRN Consortia and 28 representatives from 76 PAGs affiliated with these Consortia were contacted by email to provide feedback via an online RDCRN survey. Impact was measured in the key areas of 1) Research logistics; 2) Outreach and communication; and 3) Funding and in-kind support. Rating choices were: 1-very negative, 2-somewhat negative, 3-no impact, 4-somewhat positive, and 5-very positive.Results: Twenty-seven of the PAGs (96 %) disseminate information about the RDCRN within the patient community. The Consortium Principal Investigators also reported high levels of PAG involvement. Sixteen (94 %) Consortium Principal Investigators and 25 PAGs (89 %) reported PAGs participation in protocol review, study design, Consortium conference calls, attending Consortium meetings, or helping with patient recruitment.Conclusions: PAGs are actively involved in shaping Consortia's research agendas, help ensure the feasibility and success of research protocols by assisting with study design and patient recruitment, and support training programs. This extensive PAG-Investigator partnership in the RDCRN has had a strongly positive impact on the success of the Network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the concept of incentivizing the protection of personally identifiable consumer information in America in the wake of a data breach involving the Home Depot Inc. retail store chain, and it mentions the efforts to prevent identity theft and disclosures of U.S. social security numbers and other personal data. Breaches of payment card systems are examined, along with the legal consequences of the Home Depot Inc. breach. Liability, penalties, and U.S. statutes are examined.

Introduction: Inguinal hernia is one of the most common ailments known to mankind. When symptomatic it can severely affect the patient's quality of life. Nevertheless, the vast majority of inguinal herniorrhaphies are elective and, therefore, not available to uninsured patients who do not have the financial wherewithal to pay for the operation. Using the Surgery on Sunday model developed in Kentucky, hernia repair for the underserved developed a free clinic for hernia surgery, based on institutional commitment to the poor as well as the volunteer efforts of medical students and hospital personnel at all levels. Methods: After consulting with Surgery on Sunday personnel, HRFU determined the number of in need patients by consulting with local free clinic physicians. Second, and most time consuming, was the application for the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) medical legal protection. Under this law, all in hospital credentialed volunteer professionals are medico-legally protected if the surgery is performed in an associated free clinic. After FTCA application re-writes and committee meetings to work out logistics of the pre-op clinic, the follow-up clinic, enlistment of other volunteers such as transporters, translators, housekeeping for the ORs, a pharmacist, registration personnel and creation of HRFU hospital forms we established a surgery date. A memorandum of understanding was drafted and an agreement letter with the hospital system was co-signed. Fourteen patients were seen in the pre-operative clinic and two were placed on waiting list. Patients were operated upon using 3 operating rooms and a volunteer staff of 4 surgeons, 4 anesthesia personnel and 13 nurses. Results: No surgical complications were encountered intra-operatively or in the recovery room, and all patients were discharged by 2:30 p.m. 1 week post-operatively one patient had severe incisional pain, two had operative site swelling, but there was no evidence of infection or hematoma, and one had a distal sac fluid collection. All patients returned for follow-up and were appreciative of the care provided. The enthusiasm and participation of the patients and staff both pre-operatively, the day of surgery and postoperatively was outstanding. Conclusion: On the basis of this result HRFU is prepared to assist other US hernia specialists and their respective hospitals to make Surgery on Sunday a possibility in their community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the U.S. FDA Food Safety Modernization Act which was signed into law by American President Barack Obama on January 4, 2011, focusing on the law's provisions which authorize the nation's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement food contamination prevention standards. The impact of the law on the food industry is addressed in relation to public health and government regulations. An interpretation of the plain language contained in the statute is provided.

There is solid evidence for strategies and programs that, if implemented with fidelity in schools, will enhance the mental health of children and youth. These practices are, however, inconsistently applied and rarely evaluated programmatically in every day practice. In recent years, implementation variables that influence uptake have received attention. An emerging area of interest is the role that research partnerships might play in narrowing the gap between science and practice. Drawing on the literature and practice examples, collaborators from the United States and Canada explore the role of partnerships in bringing the worlds of research and practice closer into alignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient safety is the top priority for the pharmaceutical industry and requires constant vigilance. This article presents a thorough overview of the rigorous safety processes involved at each stage of a medicine's life cycle, as well as a review of current research, with the aim of changing the perception that safety is primarily a preapproval activity and not a major area of focus for the pharmaceutical industry. In reality, pharmaceutical companies and regulators work in partnership to make medicines as safe as possible, from long before they are marketed until well after approval for widespread use. Current safety surveillance activities will be enhanced further in the future. For example, in the United States, a large market with well-established regulatory requirements, Congress recently passed the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 (FDAAA). This law emphasizes the importance of postapproval medicine safety activities and provides FDA with increased funding and enforcement authority to build on the postapproval safety processes already in place. The combination of industry practice and increased FDA authority should further assure patients of the safety of medicines on which they rely to lead longer, healthier lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a response to James Hitchcock's article "Abortion and the Catholic Right" published at the Catholic weekly newspaper "The Wanderer." It argues on the claim of Hitchcock that the journal had ceased to treat abortion as the primary issue in public life. It asserts that it was former U.S. President George W. Bush who damaged the country's pro-life movement.

This article focuses on the challenges facing asylum applicants in the U.S. It explains that asylum applicants must show a well founded fear of persecution in their home country. This fear of persecution must be based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion. The main difficulty in proving these things is the fact that asylum applicants in the U.S. has little proof of such dangers they face in the home country. The asylum application process is complex and the executive branch is given the authority to handle such cases. It presents information on the immigration court system in the country. It discusses the extent to which the judicial branch can intervene in the executive branch's review of asylum applications.

The article presents a pilot study which prospectively examines the cannabis withdrawal in adolescents with cannabis dependence in the U.S. The study was conducted to twenty-one adolescents ages 13 to 19 who are cannabis dependent using the Teen-Addiction Severity Index, Substance Use Survey, and the Structured Clinical Interview. Results show that cannabis withdrawal symptoms were present in adolescents and became the greatest in the first 2 weeks of abstinence with evidence that it continued into week 3. It was concluded that the findings of the study support the presence of clinically significant cannabis withdrawal symptoms in adolescents with cannabis dependence.

Hernia surgery is typically same-day surgery and can be safely conducted in a developing country. We describe a collaborative effort of the American Hernia Society, the Institute of Latin American Concerns, medical industries, the United States Peace Corps, physicians, surgical residents and nurses from many institutions. During three 5-day periods, we operated on 236 patients and repaired 252 hernias (73% inguinal). In addition, an education day for local physicians was conducted on three occasions and included televised live surgical demonstrations and interactive lectures with question and answer sessions. We suggest this to be a viable public health initiative and demonstrate the role of surgeons in advancing and providing state-of-the-art inguinal hernia surgery to a developing country and its underserved population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines several retention strategies against nurse shortage in the U.S. Selection of nursing staff; Description of the culture of retention; Staff scheduling tasks for managers.

Describes the development of a statewide strategy to improve quality of care through a partnership between the state agency responsible for nursing home surveys and a school of nursing in an academic health sciences center in the U.S. Actions taken by the government for the improvement of the quality of care in the facilities; Background on the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1987; Importance of on-site clinical consultation by a nurse expert in improving the quality of care.

The health care world is changing rapidly and so is its workforce. As nurses are welcomed as copartners in care delivery and design, a new relationship between employer and employee is forged. Nurses who see themselves as free agents, working in partnership with their employers, function within a very different employment relationship than in past years. The concept of free agency is more familiar to nurses in the Generation X age cohort but is of great interest to all nurses and nurse administrators. Free agency is more of a mindset than an employment status and is explored in this article. Copyright © 2002 by Aspen Publishers, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores the politics behind state programs in the United States to extend educational vouchers to private, church-related schools. State constitutional standards and religious interest groups; Societal changes and the pressures for accommodation; Issue raised regarding the implementation of the voucher system in Wisconsin and Florida.

Detailed crown condition information, including numbers of broken branches ≥5 cm diameter, broken tops, and healthy branches, were recorded for 5434 living trees >9 cm dbh from 603 ten-basal-area-factor prism plots (three per forest stand) at 201 random points (stands) throughout the ice damage region of northern New York State. Twenty five percent of the sample stands had ≥20% branch breakage. Bigtooth aspen, red oak, red maple, and white pine had the most breakage. Comparison of potential mortality of trees associated with ≥75% ice damage (severe damage) to baseline (predicted) mortality to maintain the existing forest structure suggests that ice damage may alter the health of 18% of the forest stands but this is not sufficient to alter the health (sustainability) of the larger forest system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Damage from the 1998 ice storm was evaluated on 50 plot clusters (1667 trees) in northern New York. For seven of the 10 most dominant species, observed diameter distributions fit those predicted by the best fit negative exponential model according to Chi-square analysis (χ² α = 0.05). The lack of fit for Pinus resinosa, Fraxinus nigra and Tsuga canadensis was attributed to plantation management, variable flooding regimes and harvesting practices, respectively. Trees were then removed from the distributions based on the severity of the ice storm damage. Acer saccharum and Populus tremuloides distributions became significantly different from negative exponential, indicating a possible change in population structure that could impact forest succession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on a study that examined risk of future suicide attempts and emergency room (ER) returns among children and adolescents with first suicidal ER presentations. Suicide rates among 15- to 24-year-olds in the United States; Characteristics of the subjects; Prognostic factors of ER return and suicide attempt within six months of initial presentation.

Discusses various cases highlighting the efforts of state and federal courts to balance the competing demands of non-establishment of religion and religious free exercise in the United States. Judicial efforts to resolve First Amendments issue; Upholding the role of the state as `parens patriae' in expanding the protection of children in areas of health and employment.

With nurse executives throughout the U.S. facing significant shortages of staff nurses, the reliance on temporary staffing agencies has grown tremendously. The need for temporary staffing services is not new in health care. Most hospital nursing departments experience a fluctuation in patient census and staffing requirements as a result of seasonal variations or unexpected staffing deficiencies. However, the more serious issue is the growing tendency of hospital nursing managers to often use temporary staffing agencies to fill vacant full-time nursing positions.

The article presents an update on issues related to the Society of Trauma Nurses (STN) in the U.S. as of July 2009. The 2009 Trauma Leadership Award was given to Heidi Hotz, a faculty member for the Trauma Outcomes Performance Improvement Course (TOPIC) of the STN, at the STN Annual Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. An annual conference on trauma nursing sponsored by the STN will take place in Orlando, Florida from April 7 to 9, 2010. The findings of the STN Membership Survey are also discussed.

Provides tips for the career choice of nurses in the United States. Importance of the quality of interpersonal relations in the workplace; Consideration of opportunities for professional development; Importance of freedom and autonomy in work.

Proposes an approach to preretirement counseling in the U.S. Assumptions underlying the purpose and objectives of preretirement preparation program; Design and delivery of preretirement preparation programs; Basis for planning a retirement life style.