How CVS Health Creates Competitive Advantage through Global Supply Chains

This research article is about how CVS Health operates and sustains its existence in the healthcare market. It also illustrates what makes CVS Health stand out from their competitors, and its position in the S&P sector. CVS Health started as a Consumers Value Store where all types of miscellaneous products were sold. Later CVS evolved, became a pharmaceutical company, and began to see more profit; eventually, they changed their company name to CVS Pharmacy to focus more on the healthcare aspect because it brought in more revenue. Expanding their healthcare services also helped expand the company’s market presence. Currently, the store is recognized as CVS Health in the S&P 500 sector. This research explores and identifies CVS Health’s success, especially in creating a competitive advantage through global supply chains

Dynamic pain-emotion relations in chronic pain: a theoretical review of moderation studies

Current developments in chronic pain research are changing the focus in the study of pain-emotion relations from the identification of general patterns to the study of dynamic and context-related interactions manifesting both within and between individuals. This shift towards understanding variation at both intra- and interpersonal levels has significant clinical implications for psychological adjustment to chronic pain conditions, and thus represents an important topic for both clinical and health psychology. This article reviews the existing theoretical explanations of these dynamics and their emerging empirical support, and suggests further areas of investigation. A literature search identified research on moderators of pain-emotion relations in chronic pain; existing theories were also examined from this perspective. A theoretical analysis revealed several important contributions, including the concepts of affect differentiation, generalised discrimination ability, resilience, vulnerability, coping, emotion regulation and desynchrony, which are described here together with the relevant empirical research and clinical implications. Important areas for development are the clarification of the common elements and opposing predictions and the empirical examination of mediating mechanisms. Several methodological issues are discussed. This review identifies a rich theoretical basis for research into pain-emotion moderation, and suggests that further examinations of such relationships might hold important clinical consequences

The Beacon, March 31, 2008

Vol. 20, Issue 59, 12 pageshttps://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_newspaper/1213/thumbnail.jp

TURNING GLOBALIZATION 4.0 INTO A REAL AND SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS

The paper aims to provide an overview of the major opportunities and challenges of the fourth phase of globalization in the current macro scenario characterized by a high level of economic and geopolitical complexity and uncertainty. The assumptions and results reported in this work are based mostly on the judgmental opinion of the author and on his critical analysis of macroeconomic data and global trends. The author of the paper is a seasoned chief economic advisor and professor of global economics and disruptive innovation. Forecasting global market trends and future scenarios in a highly unpredictable business environment is always a complex task which cannot be undertaken simply relying on quantitative research techniques based on historical datasets since the past is not always a good predictor of future events. The qualitative approach adopted for this research is based on multiple forms of data sources and the following activities: (1) identification of the key forces and trends in the environment (i.e. environmental scanning); (2) assessing the driving forces and trends by importance and uncertainty; (3) envisioning potential alternative scenarios; and (4) assessing the potential implications of each trend and scenario. The result of this analysis confirms the central role that technological development is likely to have in the near future as a major driver of disruptive change in the economic and social models of many countries and leads to the conclusion that the groundbreaking and disruptive innovations of the future should be perceived as a potential opportunity and not just as a threat by stakeholders in the international community. Keywords: Globalization, Sustainability, Creating Shared Value, Complexity and Uncertainty, Macro Strategy Analysis, Technological Innovation, Social Inclusion, Global Competitiveness, International Busines

Disability-Selective Abortion and the Americans with Disabilities Act

This Article examines the influence of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on affective attitudes toward children with disabilities and on the incidence of disability-selective abortion. Applying regression analysis to U.S. natality data, we find that the birthrate of children with Down syndrome declined significantly in the years following the ADA’s passage. Controlling for technological, demographic, and cultural variables suggests that the ADA may have encouraged prospective parents to prevent the existence of the very class of people it was designed to protect. We explain this paradox by showing the way in which specific ADA provisions could have given rise to demeaning media depictions and social conditions that reinforced negative understandings and expectations among prospective parents about what it means to have a child with a disability. We discuss implications for antidiscrimination law and prenatal testing policy

The Ultrasound Window Into Vascular Ageing: A Technology Review by the VascAgeNet COST Action

Arteriosclerosis; Ultrasound; Vascular ageingArteriosclerosi; Ecografia; Envelliment vascularArteriosclerosis; Ecografía; Envejecimiento vascularNon-invasive ultrasound (US) imaging enables the assessment of the properties of superficial blood vessels. Various modes can be used for vascular characteristics analysis, ranging from radiofrequency (RF) data, Doppler- and standard B/M-mode imaging, to more recent ultra-high frequency and ultrafast techniques. The aim of the present work was to provide an overview of the current state-of-the-art non-invasive US technologies and corresponding vascular ageing characteristics from a technological perspective. Following an introduction about the basic concepts of the US technique, the characteristics considered in this review are clustered into: 1) vessel wall structure; 2) dynamic elastic properties, and 3) reactive vessel properties. The overview shows that ultrasound is a versatile, non-invasive, and safe imaging technique that can be adopted for obtaining information about function, structure, and reactivity in superficial arteries. The most suitable setting for a specific application must be selected according to spatial and temporal resolution requirements. The usefulness of standardization in the validation process and performance metric adoption emerges. Computer-based techniques should always be preferred to manual measures, as long as the algorithms and learning procedures are transparent and well described, and the performance leads to better results. Identification of a minimal clinically important difference is a crucial point for drawing conclusions regarding robustness of the techniques and for the translation into practice of any biomarker.This article is based upon work from COST Action CA18216 VascAgeNet, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology, www.cost.eu). A.G. has received funding from “La Caixa” Foundation (LCF/BQ/PR22/11920008). R.E.C is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (reference: 2009005) and by a National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowship (reference: 105636). J.A. acknowledges support from the British Heart Foundation [PG/15/104/31913], the Wellcome EPSRC Centre for Medical Engineering at King's College London [WT 203148/Z/16/Z], and the Cardiovascular MedTech Co-operative at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust [MIC-2016-019]

The Cowl - v.62 - n.23 - Apr 23, 1998

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 62 - No. 23 - Apr 23, 1998. 24 pages