Structure-stiffness relation of live mouse brain tissue determined by depth-controlled indentation mapping

The mechanical properties of brain tissue play a pivotal role in neurodevelopment and neurological disorders. Yet, at present, there is no consensus on how the different structural parts of the tissue contribute to its stiffness variations. Here, we have gathered depth-controlled indentation viscoelasticity maps of the hippocampus of isolated horizontal live mouse brain sections. Our results confirm the highly viscoelestic nature of the material and clearly show that the mechanical properties correlate with the different morphological layers of the samples investigated. Interestingly, the relative cell nuclei area seems to negatively correlate with the stiffness observed

Territorialising brand experience and consumption: negotiating a role for pop-up retailing

The evolving consumption landscape creates challenges for retailers in accommodating their modus operandi to negotiate changing consumer needs, arguably requiring a ‘new’ type of retailing to hopefully facilitate future success. We suggest that an important aspect of such negotiation will be the use of ‘pop-up’ activity, and we critically evaluate the potential of these ephemeral consumption spaces to constitute and shape consumers’ brand-oriented relations and experiences into the future. Informed by the work of Deleuze and Guattari, we take a territorological perspective. Drawing on data from eight UK-based pop-up cases, we analyse: (1) how these temporary ‘territories’ of brand experience are developed and implemented; (2) what differentiates them from other, traditionally conceived, territories of brand experience; and (3) critically evaluate pop-up’s neglected characterisation in terms of a more ‘fluid’ spatial-temporal retail territory, to better understand its role in contemporary consumer culture. We posit that the development of pop-up activities occurs through the coordination of actions of a variety of stakeholders, constituting a spatial-temporal confluence of both material and processual elements to create a ‘refrain’, through the compression and compaction of interior, intermediary, exterior and annexed milieus. In doing so, we offer a new lens through which to view the creation of retail consumption spaces

Real-time crystallization study of poly(e-caprolactone) by hot-stage atomic force microscopy

The morphological development and lamellar growth kinetics of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) were investigated in real-time by hot-stage atomic force microscopy (AFM). The morphology of PCL crystals grown in the melt was studied to obtain insight into the mechanism, which controls the lateral shape of the lamellae in this polymer. Melt-grown PCL crystals showed a truncated lozenge lateral shape, with curved or chair-like three-dimensional morphology. Similar lamellar morphologies were observed in larger crystal aggregates, i.e. hedrites, grown at lower crystallization temperatures in the melt. The individual lamellae in these crystal aggregates also showed an elongated truncated lozenge shape. The AFM examination of the hedritic morphologies revealed the dynamics of the dominant/subsidiary crystallization process. The use of a hot-stage allowed us to perform real-time observation of growth faces in different crystallographic directions. The results support previous evidence, which suggested that the elongated lamellar habit is related to growth rate anisotropy. Morphological observations suggest a mechanism including {110} growth faces. In addition, visualization of the lamellar morphology indicates that the PCL crystals are obtained under regime II crystallization conditions

Nucleation and Growth of Poly(E-caprolactone) on Poly(tetrafluoroethylene) by In-Situ AFM

The nucleation behavior of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) on friction-deposited poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) was investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM). This technique allows for imaging of the nucleation and crystallization processes in real time. An estimation of the PCL crystal orientation on the PTFE substrate is made by evaluating the growth rates and the growth geometry of the lamellar crystals formed on PTFE. On the basis of the data collected, it is proposed that PCL crystallizes on PTFE predominantly via a (100)PCL contact plane (∼80%). The crystals adopt an orientation that minimizes the lattice mismatch at the interface between the nucleating PTFE and PCL. A (010)PCL||(100)PTFE contact plane was simultaneously observed at a lower occurrence of approximately 20%. Visualization of the PTFE fibrillar morphology at higher resolution during isothermal crystallization revealed the appearance of a third PCL crystal orientation which developed later in time. The corresponding crystals were observed to develop from grooves on the PTFE substrate, indicating a graphoepitaxial nucleation mechanism