Tiffany & Co.: a nineteenth century American retailer in Paris and London

Large American international retailers have been defining global consumers’ in-store experiences for decades. Firms such as Woolworths, and concepts such as the supermarket, have changed how we use stores and what we expect from them. American innovation in retailing in the twentieth century was synonymous with the notion of “big is beautiful”

Probing the reactivity of lattice nitrogen in transition metal nitrides

Reactions involving nitrogen transfer are of great industrial interest. Utilizing nitrides in this manner, in principle, could help industries overcome the increasing challenges which they face to meet economic and environmental targets. An example of this is the possible application of metal nitrides in the direct synthesis of aniline from benzene, which could potentially remove the need for the lengthy, uneconomical, and environmentally unfriendly process which is currently employed. In the work presented in this thesis a screening study has been undertaken which explores the reactivity of lattice nitrogen within bulk and supported transition metal nitride catalysts. The experimental work has been conducted with the aim of developing a potential nitrogen transfer reagent in order to synthesise aniline via the direct conversion of benzene and has focused on three main objectives: determining the most active transition metal nitride catalyst for ammonia synthesis, in the absence of N2 to determine the reactivity of “lattice” nitrogen. It was necessary at this point to establish which materials were reactive and lost nitrogen from the metal lattice at or below 400oC, the maximum temperature for the envisaged process. Materials which demonstrated a subsequent loss of lattice nitrogen upon reaction with H2/Ar were then screened to establish whether it was possible to restore the original nitrogen content in the materials in order for the nitrides to function in a Mars-van Krevelen type capacity. Finally the reaction of benzene and hydrogen over bulk binary nitrides was conducted in an attempt to trap reactive NHx species for the production of aniline. It was found that no aniline was produced in these reactions. However, some interesting results were obtained over a selection of nitride materials, namely Co3Mo3N, Cu3N, Zn3N2, Re3N and a metallic Co-4Re compound where low quantities of, as yet unidentified, reaction products were formed. To the author’s knowledge, this is the largest systematic study of bulk nitrides and related materials which has been investigated on this scale and which has been directed towards this specific, novel, target process

Color-coded summation images for the evaluation of blood flow in endovascular aortic dissection fenestration

BACKGROUND: To analyze the benefit of color-coded summation images in the assessment of target lumen perfusion in patients with aortic dissection and malperfusion syndrome before and after fluoroscopy-guided aortic fenestration. METHODS: Between December 2011 and April 2020 25 patients with Stanford type A (n = 13) or type B dissection (n = 12) and malperfusion syndromes were treated with fluoroscopy-guided fenestration of the dissection flap using a re-entry catheter. The procedure was technically successful in 100% of the cases and included additional iliofemoral stent implantation in four patients. Intraprocedural systolic blood pressure measurements for gradient evaluation were performed in 19 cases. Post-processed color-coded DSA images were obtained from all DSA series before and following fenestration. Differences in time to peak (dTTP) values in the compromised aortic lumen and transluminal systolic blood pressure gradients were analyzed retrospectively. Correlation analysis between dTTP and changes in blood pressure gradients was performed. RESULTS: Mean TTP prior to dissection flap fenestration was 6.85 ± 1.35 s. After fenestration, mean TTP decreased significantly to 4.96 ± 0.94 s (p < 0.001). Available systolic blood pressure gradients between the true and the false lumen were reduced by a median of 4.0 mmHg following fenestration (p = 0.031), with significant reductions in Stanford type B dissections (p = 0.013) and minor reductions in type A dissections (p = 0.530). A moderate correlation with no statistical significance was found between dTTP and the difference in systolic blood pressure (r = 0.226; p = 0.351). CONCLUSIONS: Hemodynamic parameters obtained from color-coded DSA confirmed a significant reduction of TTP values in the aortic target lumen in terms of an improved perfusion in the compromised aortic region. Color-coded DSA might thus be a suitable complementary tool in the assessment of complex vascular patterns prevailing in aortic dissections, especially when blood pressure measurements are not conclusive or feasible

Overcoming Institutional Voids:Maisons Spéciales and the Internationalisation of Proto-Modern Brands

This article explores the role of institutional voids in the internationalisation of proto-modern brands in London from the mid-1820s through to the early 1850s. Internationalising firms addressed institutional deficiencies in the market through the establishment of retail operations identified here as international maisons spéciales and by adopting marketing strategies designed to legitimate their proto-modern brands. Together, these organisational and strategic marketing responses enabled firms to overcome institutional voids and shape market norms. These mutually supporting organisational and marketing innovations occurred at a much earlier date than the literature currently suggests

Interinstitutional shaping of retail innovation : the nineteenth century retail arcade

The retail arcade was an innovative format that proliferated across the urban landscape in the late nineteenth century. However, it has attracted limited research attention from business historians. This article addresses this research gap by identifying the reasons for arcade development and the business relationships that enabled their widespread commercialisation. The retail arcade provided a thoroughfare between two centres of urban activity. The realisation of this transitional retail space required civic support and a commercial framework that facilitated the reification of experiential retailing. It provided financial rewards to multiple business interests whose complex relationships underpinned its operational characteristics. Britain provides the research context. Adopting an institutional logics theoretical perspective, this paper considers the interinstitutional shaping of this hybrid organisational form over more than half a century. A rare and rich source of archival material facilitates the study of quotidian activity within this innovative retail format

Osteosarcoma Models: From Cell Lines to Zebrafish

High-grade osteosarcoma is an aggressive tumor most commonly affecting adolescents. The early age of onset might suggest genetic predisposition; however, the vast majority of the tumors are sporadic. Early onset, most often lack of a predisposing condition or lesion, only infrequent (<2%) prevalence of inheritance, extensive genomic instability, and a wide histological heterogeneity are just few factors to mention that make osteosarcoma difficult to study. Therefore, it is sensible to design and use models representative of the human disease. Here we summarize multiple osteosarcoma models established in vitro and in vivo, comment on their utilities, and highlight newest achievements, such as the use of zebrafish embryos. We conclude that to gain a better understanding of osteosarcoma, simplification of this extremely complex tumor is needed. Therefore, we parse the osteosarcoma problem into parts and propose adequate models to study them each separately. A better understanding of osteosarcoma provides opportunities for discovering and assaying novel effective treatment strategies

New perspectives on the evolution of within-individual genome variation and germline/soma distinction

Genomes can vary significantly even within the same individual. The underlying mechanisms are manifold, ranging from somatic mutation and recombination, development-associated ploidy changes and genetic bottlenecks, over to programmed DNA elimination during germline/soma differentiation. In this perspective piece, we briefly review recent developments in the study of within-individual genome variation in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. We highlight a Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution 2020 virtual symposium entitled "Within-individual genome variation and germline/soma distinction" and the present Special Section of the same name in Genome Biology and Evolution, together fostering cross-taxon synergies in the field to identify and tackle key open questions in the understanding of within-individual genome variation

The origins of American international retailing:Tiffany of New York in London and Paris, 1837-1914

This article considers the international retailing activities of Tiffany of New York between 1837 and 1914. Using data from the company archive alongside other sources, the article considers the firm’s international retail operation from entry stage merchant buying activity through to the establishment of modern retailing facilities. The findings indicate five factors were determinants of sustainable international retailing: a centralized organizational structure, a stable ownership structure, existing international engagement, a strong brand identity, and a relevant international retail format. Placing Tiffany’s activities in its wider commercial and consumer context, the findings illustrate the organizational changes and asset combination required to support the development of early international retail operations. The article contributes to theoretical understanding of the dynamics of retail internationalization

Marketing Innovation in Time and across Time:International Flagship Stores, Brand Identity and the Boundary of the Firm

In this paper we problematize the contextualization and analysis of innovative international retailing practices in time and across time. Theoretically, the paper contributes to an understanding of the role of marketing activities in defining the boundary of the international retail firm. Using historical methods and drawing on primary data from firm-based archives in the United States and the United Kingdom this paper shows how adopting a long-term perspective on retail marketing innovation facilitates a deeper and richer understanding of the internationalization of retail activity from the perspective of practice and theory. We explore the epistemological challenges of incorporating historical methods into mainstream marketing research. These historiographical and theoretical issues are explored through consideration of the role of ‘flagship’ stores in the creation of brand identity in international markets during and between the first and second global economies: 1880 - 2019. Analyzing the experiences of American and British firms, this paper explores strategic tensions created by the relative financial and marketing value of iconic stores in prestigious locations in international markets. At the firm-level, the paper provides insight into the emergence and development of in-house branding, retailing and marketing practices. At the market-level, we explore how marketing innovation defined by the first global economy (1880-29) was challenged by volatile trading conditions after 1929 and subsequently reasserted in the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century (1980-2019)