Law is an essential tool for improving public health infrastructure and outcomes; however, existing state statutory public health laws may be insufficient. Built over decades in response to various diseases/conditions, public health laws are antiquated, divergent, and confusing. The Turning Point Public Health Statute Modernization National Collaborative addressed the need for public health law reform by producing a comprehensive model state act. The Act provides scientifically, ethically, and legally sound provisions on public health infrastructure, powers, duties, and practice. This article examines (1) how statutory law can be a tool for improving the public's health, (2) existing needs for public health law reform, (3) themes and provisions of the Turning Point Act, and (4) how it is being used by public health practitioners.

Evidence was sought that the tumour promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced mouse epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC, EC 4.1.1.17) activity involves both increased ODC mRNA and ODC protein. Application of 10 nmol of TPA to mouse skin led to a dramatic increase in soluble epidermal ODC activity which paralleled an increase in amount of enzymically active ODC protein as determined by gel electrophoresis of immunoprecipitated difluoromethyl[3H]ornithine-bound ODC. Application of TPA to mouse skin also resulted in an increase in ODC mRNA measured by dot-blot analysis using a radiolabelled cDNA probe. ODC mRNA induction preceded the increase in ODC activity by TPA. TPA-increased ODC mRNA displayed a single major band of 2.1 kilobases in size identified by the Northern blotting procedure.

For over one hundred years parapsychological and intuition research has supported the existence of cognitive "knowing" beyond the physical senses. Additional quantum physics research over the past decades has indicated a quantum field at the subatomic level of connectedness that Schrödinger described as "entanglement." Electrophysiological evidence of intuition has shown that the heart's and the whole body's perceptions are constantly receiving, processing, and decoding intuitive information. Perhaps the heart, or the heart's electromagnetic field, may be a source of intuition. Telepathic interspecies communication may be facilitated by utilizing specific meditation techniques to quiet the mind, slow the brain waves, and shift consciousness to a level outside of time and space.

Telepathic parapsychology research is a subject of much debate. This small pilot study explored the proposition that telepathic communication between humans and therapy equines may be possible with a human utilizing contemplative/meditative techniques to shift consciousness. The human participants were 7 military veterans in retired or inactive status diagnosed with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Each veteran was assigned to one therapy horse. The 12 equine participants all had the same guardians. The veterans signed an online consent to participate and submitted questions for their horses on the consent form. Both veterans and guardians were blind as to which of 2 telepathic animal communicators would be randomly assigned to the session by the principal researcher. Both animal communicators were physically located in another town from the horses when the sessions were conducted. The answers to the veteran's questions, allegedly received telepathically from the horses, were documented and emailed to the principal researcher. The summary document from each session was shared with the veteran for their horse by the guardians, and all summaries were shared with the guardians. During an in-person or telephone interview with the principal researcher, the veterans offered qualitative comments and used Likert scales to rate the usefulness of the information received from 1 (not at all useful) to 6 (extremely useful). The average overall usefulness rating as judged by the veterans was 4.9. The guardians also submitted Likert ratings and qualitative comments on the usefulness of the information received; the guardian ratings average was 5.75. These findings contribute to the body of equine therapy studies as well as the wealth of literature that supports the human-animal bond. Further research is needed to explore additional nuances of this category of consciousness and healing research.

Participants who chose to work on physical activity participated in more general and specific physical activity and had a higher stage of change for physical activity. Stage of change affects physical activity. While results provide support for the stages of change construct of the transtheoretical model of change, the results do not support that the WDDMP assisted participants in achieving their physical activity goals.