Supermarkets are investing in micro-fulfillment centers with the hope that automation can help reduce the costs of online commerce and ecommerce by shortening the distances from store to home and speeding up deliveries. In short, MFCs are said by many to be the key to profitably fulfilling online orders. Types
U.S. categorization
The U.S. FMI food industry association, drawing on research by Willard Bishop, defines the following formats (store types) that sell groceries:

Organic and environmentally-friendly supermarkets
Some supermarkets are focusing on selling more (or even exclusively) organically certified produce. Others are trying to differentiate themselves by selling fewer (or no) products containing palm oil. This as the demand of palm oil is a main driver for the destruction of rainforests. As a response to the growing concern on the heavy use of petroleum-based plastics for food packaging, so-called "zero waste" and "plastic-free" supermarkets and groceries are on the rise. Growth in developing countries
Beginning in the 1990s, the food sector in developing countries has rapidly transformed, particularly in Latin America, South-East Asia, India, China and South Africa. With growth, has come considerable competition and some amount of consolidation. The growth has been driven by increasing affluence and the rise of a middle class; the entry of women into the workforce; with a consequent incentive to seek out easy-to-prepare foods; the growth in the use of refrigerators, making it possible to shop weekly instead of daily; and the growth in car ownership, facilitating journeys to distant stores and purchases of large quantities of goods.
Gradenigos syndrome, also called Gradenigo-Lannois syndrome, is a complication of otitis media and mastoiditis involving the apex of the petrous temporal bone. It was first described by Giuseppe Gradenigo in 1904. Symptoms
Components of the syndrome include:

retroorbital pain due to pain in the area supplied by the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve (fifth cranial nerve),
abducens nerve palsy (sixth cranial nerve)
otitis mediaOther symptoms can include photophobia, excessive lacrimation, fever, and reduced corneal sensitivity. The syndrome is classically caused by the spread of an infection into the petrous apex of the temporal bone. Diagnosis
The constellation of symptoms was first described as a consequence of severe, advanced ear infection which has spread to a central portion of the temporal bone of the skull. This type of presentation was common prior to development of antibiotic treatments, and is now a rare complication.In persons with longstanding ear infection and typical symptoms, medical imaging such as CT or MRI of the head may show changes that confirm disease involvement of the petrous apex of temporal bone. Treatment
The medical treatment is done with antibiotics: ceftriaxone plus metronidazole (which covers anaerobic bacteria). Depending on the duration of the infection, the severity, and which complications have arisen, it may also be necessary to perform surgery. Due to critical structures that block surgical access, it is not possible to completely remove the petrous apex. The focus is therefore on providing adequate drainage of the affected air cells. Eponym
It is named after Count Giuseppe Gradenigo, an Italian Otolaryngologist, and Maurice Lannois. References


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