Entry-level Competencies Needed by Bsns in Acute Healthcare Agencies in Tennessee in the Next Ten Years

The research focused on the identification of entry-level competencies needed by Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates who will begin employment in acute healthcare agencies in the next 10 years in Tennessee. The purpose of the study was to gain increased awareness of the competencies needed by graduates of BSN programs in Tennessee in order to meet the demands of the acute healthcare agencies, in light of present and anticipated changes in the healthcare delivery system. The opinions of nurse educators, nurse administrators, recently graduated BSNs, and experienced BSN graduates were solicited to assess congruency of perceptions. In addition, the subjects were requested to indicate whether they had observed the competencies in new BSN graduates, rank-order the importance of the entry-level competencies, list any additional entry-level competencies needed by BSN graduates, and list competencies no longer necessary in BSN programs. A list of 24 entry-level competencies was developed based on a comprehensive review of the literature, a review of the instrument by nursing experts, and a pilot study. Eighty-two nurse administrators, 96 experienced BSNs, 23 recent BSN graduates, 117 faculty members, and 11 deans/directors returned the questionnaire, for an overall return rate of 58%. The study found that there was a statistically significant difference in the perceptions of the importance of the entry-level competencies needed by BSN graduates between nurses in acute healthcare agencies and faculty in BSN programs. Also there was a weak (Kendall\u27s tau b \u3c 0.3) but significant relationship across 20 entry-level competencies between the ratings of the importance of the competency and the observation of the competency. The relationship was inverse; that is, the higher the importance, the lower the observation, or vice versa, between the rating of three competencies and the observation of these competencies. Technical skills and legal/ethical standards were the two most frequently mentioned additional competencies needed by BSNs. Care plans, bed-making, and bed-bathing were identified as competencies that remain part of current BSN education but are no longer necessary. The research is significant as it contributes to the body of knowledge relevant to entry-level competencies needed by BSNs who will begin employment in acute healthcare agencies in the next 10 years in Tennessee. Hopefully, it will serve as a catalyst for the establishment of joint meetings and partnerships between service personnel and nursing faculty in BSN programs to discuss future curriculum planning and design

Plan estratégico de la empresa productos alimenticios TRESA S.A

En el presente documento se elabora el Planeamiento Estratégico de la empresa Productos Alimenticios TRESA S.A., el cual resulta del análisis de los factores internos y externos de la empresa, donde se identificaron las principales fortalezas, debilidades, oportunidades y amenazas que sirvieron de insumo para la definición y validación de estrategias mediante el uso de matrices, utilizando el Modelo Secuencial del Proceso Estratégico. Así, se establecieron estrategias y planes de acción para alcanzar los objetivos de corto y largo plazo, orientados a la visión de la empresa. Productos Alimenticios TRESA S.A. cuenta con un considerable potencial de desarrollo para posicionarse en los mercados nacional e internacional de salsas y aderezos siendo la calidad de sus productos y el nivel de su servicio, sus mejores aliados. Los objetivos a largo plazo se han establecido en base al potencial de la organización, para ello se han definido las estrategias a implementar, los objetivos a corto plazo y los recursos asignados para su consecución. Se han considerado estrategias de desarrollo de productos y mercados, así como el lanzamiento de nuevos productos y posicionamiento de la marca TRESA a nivel nacional e internacional. El desarrollo de Productos Alimenticios TRESA S.A. representa un crecimiento importante en el mercado de salsas y aderezos en el Perú, fomentando un mayor dinamismo comercial, mejorando su participación de mercado, ofreciendo productos de mayor calidad y un servicio excepcional que supere las expectativas de sus clientesThis document develops the strategic planning of Productos Alimenticios TRESA S.A. which was made by a deep analysis of the industry and their internal and external factors. It allowed us to identify key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the company and for the sector. We worked this thesis following the Sequential Strategic Process model, identifying and validating different strategies by using several matrixes in order to meet their short and long-term goals that are aligned with the vision of the company. Productos Alimenticios TRESA S.A. has a big growth potential to win positioning in local and international dressing market, due to their two main allies: The excellent recognition of the Peruvian food, and their high quality products and service. Long-term objectives are based on the potential of the organization. Then, the strategies, the short-term objectives, and the resources allocated to support the implementation and execution of this plan was defined. Development strategies for products and markets, as well as new products launch for TRESA branding positioning at national and international level were considered. The evolution of Productos Alimenticios TRESA S.A. represents an expansion of the dressing markets in Peru, as well as great commercial dynamism among its competitors, improving their market share and offering high quality products and an exceptional service that will exceed its customers´ expectationsTesi

Comparing Competing Theories on the Causes of Mandate Perceptions

The discussion of presidential mandates is as certain as a presidential election itself. Journalists inevitably discuss whether the president-elect has a popular mandate. Because they see elections as too complex to allow the public to send a unitary signal, political scientists are more skeptical of mandates. Mandates, however, have received new attention by scholars asking whether perceptions of mandate arise and lead representatives to act as if voters sent a policy directive. Two explanations have emerged to account for why elected officials might react to such perceptions. One focuses on the President’s strategic decision to declare a mandate, the second on how members of Congress read signals of changing preferences in the electorate from their own election results. We test these competing views to see which more accurately explains how members of Congress act in support of a perceived mandate. The results indicate that members respond more to messages about changing preferences than to the president’s mandate declaration

The landscape of extreme genomic variation in the highly adaptable Atlantic killifish

© The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Genome Biology and Evolution 9 (2017): 659-676, doi:10.1093/gbe/evx023.Understanding and predicting the fate of populations in changing environments require knowledge about the mechanisms that support phenotypic plasticity and the adaptive value and evolutionary fate of genetic variation within populations. Atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) exhibit extensive phenotypic plasticity that supports large population sizes in highly fluctuating estuarine environments. Populations have also evolved diverse local adaptations. To yield insights into the genomic variation that supports their adaptability, we sequenced a reference genome and 48 additional whole genomes from a wild population. Evolution of genes associated with cell cycle regulation and apoptosis is accelerated along the killifish lineage, which is likely tied to adaptations for life in highly variable estuarine environments. Genome-wide standing genetic variation, including nucleotide diversity and copy number variation, is extremely high. The highest diversity genes are those associated with immune function and olfaction, whereas genes under greatest evolutionary constraint are those associated with neurological, developmental, and cytoskeletal functions. Reduced genetic variation is detected for tight junction proteins, which in killifish regulate paracellular permeability that supports their extreme physiological flexibility. Low-diversity genes engage in more regulatory interactions than high-diversity genes, consistent with the influence of pleiotropic constraint on molecular evolution. High genetic variation is crucial for continued persistence of species given the pace of contemporary environmental change. Killifish populations harbor among the highest levels of nucleotide diversity yet reported for a vertebrate species, and thus may serve as a useful model system for studying evolutionary potential in variable and changing environments.This work was primarily supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (collaborative research grants DEB-1265282, DEB-1120512, DEB-1120013, DEB-1120263, DEB-1120333, DEB-1120398 to J.K.C., D.L.C., M.E.H., S.I.K., M.F.O., J.R.S., W.W., and A.W.). Further support was provided by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (1R01ES021934-01 to A.W., P42ES7373 to T.H.H., P42ES007381 to M.E.H., and R01ES019324 to J.R.S.), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (P20GM103423 and P20GM104318 to B.L.K.), and the National Science Foundation (DBI-0640462 and XSEDE-MCB100147 to D.G.)

Reviving the Philippine Economy under a Responsible New Normal

After the reclassification of areas under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to general community quarantine (GCQ), the urgent task for the Philippine government is to provide an exit plan to revive the Philippine economy. Given the significant economic damage resulting from the shutdown of roughly 75 percent of the country’s total production in the National Capital Region (NCR) and in the CALABARZON and Central Luzon areas, a gradual reopening of the economy will be necessary to prevent further economic damage that could not only be difficult to repair, but also long to overcome. Indeed, based on recent directives from the government, a substantial number of industries and services have thus been allowed to operate in both the ECQ and GCQ areas. However, as the Philippine government begins to calibrate the opening of sectors, there remain concerns as to how this process will affect jobs and livelihoods now and beyond. In this context, an economic recovery plan that talks about short-term, a transition, and full recovery phases— encompassing a revision of the current Philippine Development Plan without losing sight of the long-term goals envisioned in Ambisyon Natin 2040— is still needed. Indeed, a key component of AmBisyon 2040 has been of building resiliency over the long-term, which includes resiliency in health and economic shocks apart from natural disasters. At the same time, this recovery plan should also be accompanied by structural reforms to enhance its implementation. The Department of Finance has crafted a four-pillar socio-economic strategy aimed at: (a) supporting the more vulnerable sectors of society; (b) increasing medical resources to contain the virus and offer safety to front-liners; (c) keeping the economy afloat through financial emergency initiatives; and (d) creating jobs and sustaining the economy. Yet while enumerating the costs of these plans, the said strategy lacked details on how the country could achieve some of the goals without the availability of widespread testing and adequate health facilities. Loan guarantees, cash transfers, and other forms of subsidies can revive disrupted supply chains but cannot restore productivity in the middle of a persisting health crisis, while the uncertainty of a possible outbreak can keep workers from supplying goods and services. It is crucial to have these programs and institutions in place since a number of cities, regions and provinces have started to reopen. A modified community quarantine without the necessary health system investments, protection measures, and economic recovery plan risks amounting to an unregulated herd immunity strategy. Opting for herd immunity allows governments to blame the failure of the health and economic system on the virus, rather than on bad governance. Under current GCQ protocols, the burden on containing the virus is mostly transferred to the public. Unless the government provides mass testing, the problem of information is aggravated, probably raising the transmission risks. Moreover, unregulated herd immunity will be differentially felt by the poor. As healthy workers may recover their earnings from the modified quarantine, the poor, who have limited access to the health services and are thus more susceptible to the virus, are unlikely to benefit from this system. In effect, this will only exacerbate the inequality that prevails in the country. Moving towards a responsible new normal requires a strategy that addresses both people’s wellbeing and the socio-economic weaknesses exposed by COVID-19. Thus, the strategy should have the following elements

Tinman/Nkx2-5 acts via miR-1 and upstream of Cdc42 to regulate heart function across species

Cdc42 regulates cardiac function in mice and flies downstream of a conserved Tinman/Nkx2-5–miR-1 signaling network