US Experience Research Articles

US EDUCATIONAL FOREIGN POLICY AS A “SOFT POWER” FACTOR: RETROSPECTIVE ASPECT

The subject of the article is education as a component of US foreign policy that was used and still is as an efficient and influential factor in the development of society oriented to American values, viewpoints, and way of life. The goal of the article is to analyse the place and role of education in the US foreign policy strategy in the modern era, while the main objectives are to specify the strategic directions of using education as a “soft power” by the United States as well as identify specific mechanisms that enable achieving the most effective results in this direction. Within the study, all the above objectives are solved. In particular, the main results obtained include the following: the historical context of the US use of education as a “soft power” tool is studied, the strategic directions of using educational potential as a “soft power” are analysed, the areas where educational efforts of the United States have always been concentrated are singled out. The US experience in the sphere of educational services export can be used to specify and theoretically substantiate the capabilities of Ukraine to advance its interests in the international arena using the educational opportunities our country can suggest to the world.

The enduring problem of ‘grey’ drone violence

AbstractThis article addresses the problem of drone violence that is ‘grey’ in the sense of being hard to categorise. It focuses on circumstances, such as arose in Pakistan, in which a foreign government's armed drones are a constant presence. A lesson from US experience there is that the persistent threat of drone strikes is intended to suppress activities that endanger the drone-using state's security. However, this threat inevitably affects innocent people living within potential strike zones. To judge such drone use by reference to military ethics principles is to assume that ‘war’ is going on, but indefinite drone deployments are difficult to conceptualise as war, so traditional Just War thinking does not suffice as a basis for moral judgement. In assessing the US government's commitment to drone-based containment of risks emerging along its ‘terror frontier’, the article considers three alternative conceptualisations of drone violence arising in non-war contexts: vim (‘force short of war’), terrorism, and imperialism. It then rejects all three and proposes that such violence is better conceptualised as being merely ‘quasi-imperialistic’. On this basis, however, the sustaining of a drone strike campaign against a series of suspected terrorists can still be condemned as violating the right to life.

US farm typology from agricultural census: labor resource analysis

This article analyzes the labor resources by farm type in the United States based on the 2017 Agricultural Census. The subject of the research is the system of statistical indicators of the availability and composition of labor resources, the object is the population of farms in the United States. Based on the study of the US experience, it is proposed to expand the program of the agricultural census of the Russian Federation under the section “Labor resources” and the system of groupings of observation units, including typological ones, when publishing the results. The analysis of labor resources by types of farms in the United States showed that there are significant differences in the availability and composition of labor resources.

India’s Law School Legal Aid Clinics: The Gaps Between Aspiration and Practice

The law schools legal aid activities conducted through its clinics has come a long way in India especially since its inception in the early 1970’s. Its evolution has been gradual, intermittent and varied. Although The Bar Council of India (BCI) has mandated, establishing legal aid clinics as a pre-requisite for granting the necessary permissions before law schools start functioning, there are limited ideas of its purpose and objectives. An inherent lack of understanding its importance in terms of teaching, learning and research, the legal aid practices are largely left to the discretion of the individual law schools and interpretations of the individual faculty members. Combined with ideas heavily borrowed from the law schools in the US and individual experiences of the faculty members, legal aid practices in India are diversified. In the backdrop of this, the author intends to explore and map the aspiration of legal aid through an analysis of the key policy documents of legal education since India’s independence through an ontological framework. The ontology maps the aspirations of the legal aid clinics that was intended through these documents. Additionally, a case study of two important institutions have been taken as the case in point in order to verify whether the practices match such aspirations. Thereby, putting forth arguments that are critical for understanding the gaps between the aspiration and the state of reality.
 Key words: Legal aid Clinics, Law schools, Clinical, Legal education, Social justice

Public administration and national industry policy: feature of foreign experience, principles of rational interaction

The article describes the main trends in the implementation of the state industrial policy abroad. Examples of the USA and China are given. The increasing role of state regulation in industrial development is noted. The US experience in improving strategic state planning is considered. The priority directions of China's industrial policy are characterized. The necessity of improving the principles of formation and implementation of the domestic industrial policy in the conditions of its continuing raw materials orientation is emphasized. The issues of improving the quality of institutional regulation of industry are described in detail. The necessity of linking the development of the industrial sphere with demand forecasts and national security strategies is justified. The problems of choosing the priorities of industrial development, as well as the requirements for participants in the formation and implementation of industrial state programs are considered. Recommendations on the formation of an active and balanced industrial policy are given. The key aspects of industrial policy that need to be taken into account in the formation of the public administration system are described.

Legal status history, gender, and the health of Latino immigrants in the US

AbstractLegal status is a social determinant of health and also a dynamic characteristic that can change over time. Using longitudinal data from the New Immigrant Survey, this study examines whether prior legal status is related to Latino immigrants’ self‐rated health (SRH) at the time of gaining US lawful permanent residence and if the relationship remains years later. Findings show that legal status history interacts with gender to shape the health of new legal immigrants and that the relationship changes over time. Male new arrivals exhibited better initial SRH than those with prior US experience, but the disparity disappeared by the follow‐up interview (3–6 years later). Women who were previously documented reported better follow‐up SRH than their counterparts, suggesting a process of cumulative advantage. In sum, different starting points on new legal immigrants’ migration histories can impact their health outcomes in the short‐ and long‐term.

An Analysis of the Determinants of Vaccine Hesitancy. Can the World Learn from the US Experience?

While efforts to vaccinate the general public have been trending in a positive direction, Vaccine Hesitancy is a global issue. Many infectious disease physicians, epidemiologists, and Public Health Authorities fear that Vaccine Hesitancy will indefinitely prolong the pandemic, as the Delta Variant currently ravages through the unvaccinated population. In an attempt to understand this global phenomenon, we looked at the United States’ vaccine rollout. In particular, we examined the determinants of vaccine hesitancy in the USA. Our empirical model reveals that Vaccine Hesitancy is significantly impacted by factors such as Median Income, Political Affiliation, Percentage of population that is White/Caucasian, Total Cases, Individuals without Health Insurance, and Education level. We use data from all 50 states in the US. Policy makers in other countries can greatly benefit from the findings of our empirical results. Some incentive structures should be introduced as quickly as possible to achieve a high vaccination rate in the country. Our goal is to use the United State’s experience of Vaccine Hesitancy as a baseline of sorts for the greater global community to understand, and reduce hesitancy in their vaccine rollouts.

US experience with futures transaction taxes

AbstractThe transaction tax on futures reduced trading volume during the 1920s and 1930s but had no apparent effect on volatility or open interest. The relative magnitude of the tax was highest for intermediaries and appears to have substantially reduced intra‐day trading, but it did not dramatically affect hedging activity or the level of cash or futures prices. Pit traders were particularly distressed by a 400% increase in the tax rate in 1932 and effectively widened spreads by avoiding trades at the minimum price increment. This doubling of the minimum tick size was formally implemented in exchange rules 1 year later.

Improving the counter-terrorism system: the US experience

The article is devoted to the analysis of the counter-terrorism system in the United States. The system of subjects of fight against terrorism, and also innovations in anti-terrorist activity of law enforcement agencies and special services of the USA is defined. Some US regulations in the field of counter-terrorism are considered. The role of the public in the fight against terrorism is noted, the mechanisms of public involvement in this activity are highlighted.

'Marriage is Going to Fix It': Indigenous Women's Experiences with Early Childbearing, Early Marriage and Intimate Partner Violence.

Intimate partner violence (IPV), early childbearing (ECB) and early marriage (EM) are interconnected to the historical oppression of patriarchal colonialism imposed upon Indigenous peoples throughout the world by colonising nations, such as the UK. The artefacts of colonial oppression persist in both colonising nations and those that have been colonised through social norms of patriarchal oppression perpetuated upon women with far-reaching consequences. Indigenous women of the US experience higher rates of IPV, ECB and EM than any other ethnic group-which pose risks to women's physical, psychological, socioeconomic and educational status. The purpose of this study is to explore Indigenous women's experiences with ECB and EM through a critical ethnography with two US tribes. Through reconstructive analysis the following themes emerged: (i) ECB as a Precursor to Marriage; (ii) Unequal and Overburdened Marriages; (iii) ECB, EM and IPV; and (iv) Continued Harmful Effects of Multiple Abusive Relationships. Indigenous women's experiences of ECB and EM are connected to patriarchal historical oppression that systematically dehumanises and oppresses Indigenous women, who were once treated with respect and esteem. Decolonisation and re-visualisation to promote the status of women and girls are needed to offset women's constrained wellness, socio-political status and safety.

Telehealth after the pandemic: Will the inverse care law apply? (Commentary)

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of telehealth within the cystic fibrosis (CF) community to deliver CF care. The article by Solomon and colleagues exploring the patient and family experiences of telehealth care delivery, as part of the CF chronic care model in the US, is therefore timely. In this commentary, we discuss how the US experience of telehealth care compares with reports from CF centres in other parts of the world. We highlight the potential challenges, including whether the inverse care law will apply in this new era of CF telehealth.

Effects of Race, Workplace Racism, and COVID Worry on the Emotional Well-Being of Hospital-Based Nurses: A Dual Pandemic

Persons of color in the US experience the worst COVID-related outcomes and account for the majority of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations among healthcare workers. In a pandemic where minority populations and healthcare workers are among the hardest hit, nurses of color are undoubtedly taxed. Moreover, their workplace racism experiences represent a dual pandemic in that the effects of COVID-19 worries and workplace racism may synergize to the detriment of their emotional well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine the direct, indirect, and interactive effects of individual (race, COVID worry), interpersonal (workplace racial microaggressions), and institutional (racial climate) factors on hospital-based nurses’ emotional well-being. A sample of 788 registered nurses who worked in New Jersey hospitals completed an electronic survey. Compared to White nurses, nonwhite nurses reported higher emotional distress, more negative racial climates, more racial microaggressions, and higher levels of COVID worry. Nurses’ worry about getting sick from COVID and multiple racial microaggression experiences had the largest effects on the likelihood of high emotional distress. Racism variables and worry about COVID mediated indirect effects of nonwhite race on emotional distress. Racial microaggressions mediated an indirect effect of racial climate on this outcome. Nurses who were worried about getting sick from COVID and experienced multiple microaggressions and/or the most negative racial climates had severe emotional distress. There is a need for sustained investment in a racially diverse nursing workforce. Mitigating workplace racism in hospitals is crucial, particularly during public health crises that disproportionately threaten minority populations and healthcare workers.

Choosing a fund for investment in marketplace lending: the US experience

Choosing a fund for investment in marketplace lending: the US experience

Achieving Racial and Ethnic Equity in COVID-19 Vaccination

This Viewpoint discusses the stages of vaccine readiness at the individual and health system levels and, based on the US experience with COVID-19, proposes a more racially and ethnically equitable approach to vaccination efforts.

Representing, commemorating, and memorizing terrorist attacks: Discussing the US and French experiences

How do societies and states represent the historical, moral, and political weight of the terrorist attacks they have had to face? Having suffered in recent years from numerous terrorist attacks on their soil originating from jihadist movements, and often led by actors who were also their own citizens, France and the United States have set up—or seek to do so—places of memory whose functions, conditions of creation, modes of operation, and nature of the messages sent may vary. Three of the main protagonists and initiators of two museum-memorial projects linked to terrorist attacks have agreed to deliver their visions of the role and of the political, social, and historical context in which these projects have emerged. Allowing to observe similarities and differences between the American and French approach, this interview sheds light on the place of memory and feeling in societies struck by tragic events and seeking to cure their ills through memory and commemoration.

From government management to board governance: the development history and practice of Board of Trustees in Chinese museums, a comparative analysis of museum boards in China and the US

ABSTRACT The Board of Trustees is a governance body that has been adopted internationally in the museum field. The United States has a well-developed board system and governance philosophy, which have brought guidance to China. There has been some progress in the promotion of the board governance in China over the last decade. However, few studies have focused on the role of the board in Chinese museums. This article summarizes the history of boards in Chinese museums and compares boards in China with those in the US in terms of formation and structure; power and responsibility and checks and balances; board meetings and rules of procedure; and guarantee and restraint mechanisms. This article aims to provide a Chinese perspective on the study of museum boards and to give suggestions based on the US experience to facilitate the improvement of the board system in Chinese museums.

Active robotic technologies for total knee arthroplasty.

When active robotic technologies for Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) were introduced over 20years ago, broad usage of robotic technology was not felt to be needed as early data suggested no clear improvement in clinical outcomes compared to conventional techniques of implantation. Only recently has there been renewed enthusiasm for use of robotic technologies for implantation. Active robotic technology specifically refers to the use of a robot for planning and executing the surgical procedure-with surgeon guidance and control. The physical work of bone preparation is performed by a milling tool, following a cut path defined by a CT-based preoperative plan. This manuscript describes the IDE experience of the only active robotic system (ARoS) available in the US, which took place from February 2017 through December 2018. 115 patients were enrolled in an IDE study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of an ARoS for TKA. No previously described safety issues for TKA occurred. Three-dimensional accuracy of component placement used the preoperative CT plan compared to the 3-months postoperative CT scan to demonstrate accuracy of all autonomous resections to within 1.5mm and/or 1.5 degrees. Surgical planning and execution to restore alignment along kinematic principles were used in 40 procedures and to achieve mechanical alignment in 75 procedures. This FDA study of an active robotic approach for TKA represented the first multicenter trial and first US experience with this technology. Results demonstrated an excellent safety profile and high degree of accuracy. Advantages of this approach relate to standardization of the technique, multiple device options in the implant library, an excellent safety and accuracy profile, and consistency of results. Active robotics for TKA represents a viable and safe technique for primary TKA.

Early US experience with cardiac donation after circulatory death (DCD) using normothermic regional perfusion

Given the shortage of suitable donor hearts for cardiac transplantation and the growing interest in donation after circulatory death (DCD), our institution recently began procuring cardiac allografts from DCD donors. Between October 2020 and March 2021, 15 patients with heart failure underwent cardiac transplantation using DCD allografts. Allografts were procured using a modified extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuit for thoracic normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP) and were subsequently transported using cold static storage. Data collection and analysis were performed with institutional review board approval. The mean age of the DCD donors was 23 ± 7 years and average time on TA-NRP was 56 ± 8 minutes. Total ischemic time was 183 ± 31 minutes and distance from transplant center was 373 ± 203 nautical miles. Recipient age was 55 ± 14 years, with 8 (55.3%) recipients on durable left ventricular assist device support. Post-transplant, 6 (40%) recipients experienced mild left ventricle primary graft dysfunction (PGD-LV), 3 (20%) recipients experienced moderate PGD-LV, and no recipients experienced severe PGD-LV. Postoperative transthoracic echocardiogram demonstrated left ventricular ejection fraction >55% in all recipients. One recipient (6.6%) developed International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation 2R acute cellular rejection on first biopsy. At last follow-up, all 15 recipients were alive past 30-days. Cardiac DCD provides an opportunity to increase the availability of donor hearts for transplantation. Utilizing TA-NRP with cold static storage, we have extended the cold ischemic time of DCD allografts to almost 3 hours, allowing for inter-hospital organ transport.

Russian Private Military and Security Companies and Special Operations Forces: Birds of a Feather?

ABSTRACT This article explores the degree to which Russian Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) are similar to Special Operations Forces (SOF) in terms of their characteristics, their capabilities, and their efforts. First, it recognizes that like the US example and experiences in other Western countries, Russian PMSCs often rest on a SOF pedigree too. This is due to the SOF cachet and the desired skill sets of personnel. Second, the article contends that Russian PMSCs are indeed more SOF-like in some of the tasks they perform. This is especially because of their proclivity, compared to PMSCs from other countries, to employ offensive violence. Nevertheless, and finally, Russian PMSCs do deviate from expectations in terms of their varying strategic impact regarding deniability and their documented usage of crewed weapons systems.

Facilitating Power Grid Decarbonization with Distributed Energy Resources: Lessons from the United States

Decarbonizing power grids is an essential pillar of global efforts to mitigate climate change impacts. Renewable energy generation is expected to play an important role in electricity decarbonization, although its variability and uncertainty are creating new flexibility challenges for electric grid operators that must match supply with constantly changing demand. Distributed energy resources (DERs)—including distributed generation, demand response, and distributed energy storage—can play an important role in providing the flexibility needed to integrate high penetrations of renewable energy. This article examines federal and state enabling policies and regulations for DER, market strategies and business models that have facilitated DER expansion, and key emerging challenges for DER in the United States. Based on a review of the US experience, the article offers lessons for other countries, focusing on the role and limits of policy, the facilitative role of utility regulatory reform, the need to balance different interests in tariff design, the benefits of DER participation in wholesale markets, and the importance of proactive interconnection policies.