Customer e-Loyalty in Online Retailing: Testing a Measurement Scale

Research aim: In recent years, the interest for the activities aimed to nurture a strong relationship among retailers and their customers have increasingly intensified, especially in digital environments. Recently those activities have seen their relevance increased by the growing positive impact of COVID-19 pandemic on online retailing. Working on existing customers rather than capturing new ones is the new imperative for retailers, even if we refer to online platforms, obviously without underestimating the acquisition attempts of new customers. The aim of this study is to test a conceptual model of measurement for Customers e-Loyalty (CeL) in digital context in order to evaluate its impacts on digital retailers (e-commerce retailers, e-banking retailers, e-service providers). Methodology: it has been adopted a component-based Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) on a sample of Italian digital users, who makes online purchases prevalently on Amazon in order to test the CeL scale of measurement as a conceptual (meta) model. A structured questionnaire has been administered online to the consumers through Google Forms. Findings: The study has permitted to get some counterintuitive evidence related to the process of formation of customer loyalty in digital context. The trust isn’t a determinant of CeL and the affective loyalty doesn’t impact any of the elementary dimension of CeL, nor impacts on conative loyalty. Finally, the model has been able to better capture the impact of the individual dimensions of CeL on its outcomes (price sensitiveness, intentional SOW, e-WOM). Theoretical implication and originality: Propose a reliable customer e-loyalty measurement scale in online retailing. The statistical assessment of this conceptual model will permit, in the middle term, also to measure the CeL in several other retailing industries. Furthermore, in a next step, this investigation, could be extended to other geographical settings. Managerial Implication: the better understanding of the relationships among the latent variables and outcomes in the model might encourage the online retailers to figure out appropriate course of actions to win customers’ commitment and satisfaction and to provide better services in order to create a loyal customer base in a digital context

Gut microbiota: a new path to treat obesity

Obesity is a multifactorial disease resulting in excessive accumulation of adipose tissue. Over the last decade, growing evidence has identified the gut microbiota as a potential factor in the pathophysiology of both obesity and the related metabolic disorders. The gut microbiota is known to protect gastrointestinal mucosa permeability and to regulate the fermentation and absorption of dietary polysaccharides, perhaps explaining its importance in the regulation of fat accumulation and the resultant obesity. The proposed mechanisms by which the gut microbiota could contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity and the related metabolic diseases include: (a) a high abundance of bacteria that ferment carbohydrates, leading to increased rates of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) biosynthesis, providing an extra source of energy for the host, that is eventually stored as lipids or glucose; (b) increased intestinal permeability to bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS), resulting in elevated systemic LPS levels that aggravate low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance; (c) increased activity of the gut endocannabinoid system. Fecal transplantation studies in germ-free mice have provided crucial insights into the potential causative role of the gut microbiota in the development of obesity and obesity-related disorders. Diet +/- bariatric surgery have been reported to modulate the gut microbiota, leading to lean host phenotype body composition. This review aims to report clinical evidence for a link of the gut microbiota with human obesity and obesity-related diseases, to provide molecular insights into these associations, and to address the effect of diet and bariatric surgery on the gut microbiota, including colonic microbiota, as a potential mechanism for promoting weight loss

Osteoma del mascellare associato a cisti odontogena omolaterale: approccio chirurgico combinato.

L’osteoma osteoide è una lesione osteogenica benigna la cui localizzazione nel seno mascellare è piuttosto rara, appena 7 casi descritti negli ultimi 15 anni. Di più frequente riscontro, sono le cisti odontogene del mascellare. Il riscontro contestuale delle due patologie è un evento piuttosto raro. Descriviamo il caso di osteoma del mascellare associato a voluminosa cisti odontogena omolaterale a partenza dalla radice dell’11mo. La paziente (42a), giungeva alla nostra osservazione per ostruzione respiratoria nasale, cacosmia, rinorrea mucopurulenta ed epifora monolaterali. L’imaging evidenziava la presenza di entrambe le lesioni che occupavano interamente il seno mascellare destro. La paziente veniva indirizzata a chirurgia e si optava per un approccio endoscopico combinato con doppio accesso transorale e transnasale con exeresi delle lesioni e ricostruzione del pavimento del mascellare con ausilio di membrana con PRGF (plasma ricco di fattori di crescita). Nessuna complicanza peri e post-operatoria è stata osservata. Il caso in esame pone l’attenzione sull’approccio multidisciplinare alla patologia e sulla scelta di una tecnica chirurgica conservativa con utilizzo di PRGF

Neuroendocrine Tumors. A Comprehensive Review on Nutritional Approaches

Simple Summary Neuroendocrine neoplasms and their main subtype neuroendocrine tumors have an increasing incidence worldwide, associated with a high survival and prevalence rate. Both the tumor itself and systemic therapy can have an impact on patients' nutrition. Conversely, preliminary data suggest that malnutrition has a negative impact on the development and prognosis of neuroendocrine tumors, as does obesity. The aim of this review is to condense the latest evidence on the role of the most widely used dietary patterns, the Mediterranean diet, the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting, in the context of neuroendocrine tumors. Nutritional plans are an integral part of the multidisciplinary treatment team of patients with neuroendocrine tumors because they improve the patient's quality of life. The nutritional approach must be tailored, based on nutritional needs and nutritionally manageable signs and/or symptoms related to drug treatment. Neuroendocrine neoplasms are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms with increasing incidence, high prevalence, and survival worldwide. About 90% of cases are well differentiated forms, the so-called neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), with slow proliferation rates and prolonged survival but frequent development of liver metastases and endocrine syndromes. Both the tumor itself and systemic therapy may have an impact on patient nutrition. Malnutrition has a negative impact on outcome in patients with NETs, as well as obesity. In addition, obesity and metabolic syndrome have been shown to be risk factors for both the development and prognosis of NET. Therefore, dietary assessment based on body composition and lifestyle modifications should be an integral part of the treatment of NET patients. Nutrition plans, properly formulated by a dietician, are an integral part of the multidisciplinary treatment team for patients with NETs because they allow an improvement in quality of life, providing a tailored approach based on nutritional needs and nutritional manageable signs and/or symptoms related to pharmacological treatment. The aim of this review is to condense the latest evidence on the role of the most used dietary models, the Mediterranean diet, the ketogenic diet, and intermittent fasting, in the context of NETs, while considering the clinical and molecular mechanisms by which these dietary models act

Quantitative but not qualitative flavor recognition impairments in COVID-19 patients

Background: Smell and taste dysfunctions (STDs) are symptoms associated with COVID-19 syndrome, even if their incidence is still uncertain and variable. Aims: In this study, the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on chemosensory function have been investigated using both a self-reporting questionnaire on smell and flavor perception, and a simplified flavor test. Methods: A total of 111 subjects (19 hospitalized [HOS] and 37 home-isolated [HI] COVID-19 patients, and 55 healthy controls [CTRL]) were enrolled in the study. They received a self-evaluation questionnaire and a self-administered flavor test kit. The flavor test used consists in the self-administration of four solutions with a pure olfactory stimulus (coffee), a mixed olfactory-trigeminal stimulus (peppermint), and a complex chemical mixture (banana). Results: After SARS-CoV-2 infection, HOS and HI patients reported similar prevalence of STDs, with a significant reduction of both smell and flavor self-estimated perception. The aromas of the flavor test were recognized by HI and HOS COVID-19 patients similarly to CTRL; however, the intensity of the perceived aromas was significantly lower in patients compared to controls. Conclusion: Data reported here suggests that a chemosensory impairment is present after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the modified "flavor test" could be a novel self-administering objective screening test to assess STDs in COVID-19 patients

Systemic amyloidosis and pneumatosis of bladder wall

A 72-year-old woman was admitted to our Department for syncopes, diarrhoea, and weight loss. We suspected the diagnosis of systemic amyloidosis after the detection of macroglossia and periorbital purpura, despite the biopsy of the previous year, that resulted negative for amyloid substance. We confirmed the diagnosis after the histological evidence of deposits of amyloid in bone marrow and the clinical evidence of pneumatosis of bladder wall. Chemotherapy improved only temporarily clinical condition

La gestione dei processi competitivi

Nel capitolo del volume sono descritte le condizioni interne ed esterne che influenzano la gestione dei processi competitivi, nonché l'impatto del portafolgio risorse e competenze nella scelta delle strategie competitive per l'acquisizione e sviluppo del vantaggio competitivo. Sono analizzate, inoltre, le strategie competitive di base, nonché quelle fondate sull'innovazione della curva del valore

Fattori localizzativi e competitività delle imprese ad alta tecnologia

Obiettivo generale del lavoro di ricerca è stato quello di verificare l’ipotesi per la quale le imprese ad alta tecnologia basate sull’elettronica operanti in una specifica area ad elevato costo dei fattori produttivi, individuano, - nella prospettiva della knowledge-based estesa nell’ottica della dinamic capabilities theory - nelle condizioni di contesto che contribuiscono ad alimentare la capacità di creazione, accumulazione e utilizzo di conoscenza contestuale, i fattori locali determinanti affinchè le stesse siano in grado di conservare nel tempo la propria capacità competitiva; essi, infatti, rappresentano - nella prospettiva resource-based - i fattori che maggiormente mantengono le caratteristiche di unicità e rarità che consentono di non risentire dell’effetto di “ubiquificazione” delle risorse. Ai fini della validazione della tesi in discussione, è stata condotta una indagine empirica avente ad oggetto le imprese operanti nell’ambito del sistema delle Telecomunicazione operanti nella regione Campania. I risultati dell’indagine empirica forniscono una conferma delle tre ipotesi ipotesi specifiche in cui è declinata l’ipotesi generale alla base del lavoro e contribuiscono alla comprensione del livello di impatto, sul potenziale competitivo delle imprese ad elevata tecnologia, della dotazione del territorio di risorse di base e avanzate