Reflections and Predictions on Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Retailing

Purpose: The Covid-19 pandemic has a strong effect on societies, business and consumers. Governments have taken measures to reduce the spread of the pandemic, such as social distancing and lock-downs. The latter has also resulted in temporary closure of physical stores for ‘non-essential’ retailing. Covid-19 thus has a profound impact on how people live. The period of relative isolation, social distancing and economic uncertainty changes the way we behave. New consumer behaviors span all areas of life, from how we work to how we shop to how we entertain ourselves. These shifts have important implications for retailers. This paper discusses potential structural effect on shopping behavior and retailing when Covid-19 measures are no longer needed and society moves back to a normal situation. Design/methodology/approach: The paper synthesizes empirical and conceptual literature on the consequences of COVID-19 and introduces a conceptual framework along with a set of predictions that can be investigated with empirical data. Findings: We suggest that Covid-19 shapes both consumer needs and behavior and how retailers respond to these changes. Moreover, we suggest that this will affect market outcomes (i.e. retail sales, market share online), but also firm outcomes (i.e. customer experience, firm sales) and importantly the competition between online and offline retailers. Originality/value: In our conceptual framework, we aim to advance knowledge on longer-term outcomes (vs immediate outcomes such as panic buying) and how COVID-19 is changing the competitive landscape of retail

Outcome and complications of adjustable continence therapy (ProACT™) after radical prostatectomy: 10 years’ experience in 143 patients

Aims: To evaluate our outcomes of the adjustable continence balloons ProACT™ for the treatment of male stress urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy. Methods: Between May 2007-August 2016 the ProACT™ was implanted in 143 patients without a history of radiotherapy. Endpoints were patient-reported changes in pad counts and complications. Treatment was considered successful if no pad or just one “security” pad per day sufficed, and improved if daily pad use was reduced by ≥50%. Results: Incontinence before implantation was mild in 36 (25%), moderate in 57 (40%), and severe in 50 (35%) patients. Complications within 30 days were classified by the Clavien-Dindo classification; eight (5.6%) grade I, three (2.1%) grade II, three (2.1%) grade IIIb, and 129 (90.2%) patients had no complication. Revision was done in 43 (30%) patients. The IPSS quality of life item improved significantly from 5.0 (IQR 4.0-5.0) preoperative to 2.0 (IQR 1.0-4.0) and 1.0 (IQR 0.0-3.0) 6 and 12 months after implantation, respectively. After a median follow up of 56 months (range 28 to 79, n = 112), 72 (64%) patients were improved, including 51 (45%) patients were successful. Daily pad use decreased from 3.0 to 1.0 (67% reduction). The median outcome on the Patient Global Impression of Improvement scale was “much better,” and 97 (87%) patients perceived improvement. Conclusions: The minimally invasive ProACT™ device showed a clear beneficial continence outcome in patients with stress urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy. The majority of the patients were satisfied and perceived improvement ≥50% on daily pad use on the long term

Clinical evaluation of silicone gel in the treatment of cleft lip scars.

Upper lip scars are at risk of hypertrophy. Our center therefore uses microporous tape and silicone sheeting for postoperative scar care following cleft lip repair. However, some babies have previously ingested their silicone sheeting, which has the potential for respiratory compromise or gastrointestinal obstruction. Self-dry silicone gel is reportedly also effective for preventing hypertrophic scars. Hence, we sought to test whether silicone gel, which cannot be ingested whole, might be non-inferior to silicone sheeting for controlling against upper lip scar hypertrophy. This was a mixed prospective and retrospective case-controlled clinical trial involving patients undergoing unilateral cleft lip repair, 29 of whom received standard postoperative silicone sheeting (control group) and another 33 age-matched consecutive patients who received self-dry silicone instead. The Vancouver scar scale, visual analogue scale and photographically assessed scar width assessments were the same in both groups at six months after surgery. In conclusion, silicone gel appears to be non-inferior to silicone sheeting for postoperative care of upper lip scars as judged by scar quality at six months, but silicone sheeting has the safety disadvantage that it can be swallowed whole by babies. It is thus recommended that silicone gel be used for upper lip scar management in babies.This article is freely available via Open Access. Click on the Additional Link above to access the full-text via the publisher's site

Reflections and Predictions on Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Retailing

Purpose: The Covid-19 pandemic has a strong effect on societies, business and consumers. Governments have taken measures to reduce the spread of the pandemic, such as social distancing and lock-downs. The latter has also resulted in temporary closure of physical stores for ‘non-essential’ retailing. Covid-19 thus has a profound impact on how people live. The period of relative isolation, social distancing and economic uncertainty changes the way we behave. New consumer behaviors span all areas of life, from how we work to how we shop to how we entertain ourselves. These shifts have important implications for retailers. This paper discusses potential structural effect on shopping behavior and retailing when Covid-19 measures are no longer needed and society moves back to a normal situation. Design/methodology/approach: The paper synthesizes empirical and conceptual literature on the consequences of COVID-19 and introduces a conceptual framework along with a set of predictions that can be investigated with empirical data. Findings: We suggest that Covid-19 shapes both consumer needs and behavior and how retailers respond to these changes. Moreover, we suggest that this will affect market outcomes (i.e. retail sales, market share online), but also firm outcomes (i.e. customer experience, firm sales) and importantly the competition between online and offline retailers. Originality/value: In our conceptual framework, we aim to advance knowledge on longer-term outcomes (vs immediate outcomes such as panic buying) and how COVID-19 is changing the competitive landscape of retail

Long-term comparison of the results of four techniques used for bilateral cleft nose repair: a single surgeon's experience.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate progressive changes in surgical techniques and results, aiming for improved nasal shape in primary bilateral cleft rhinoplasty