The marketing future beyond the limits of growth

This review constructs a broad and deep appreciation of what marketing scholars need to understand about economic growth, consumption, and quality of life, not as a problem of how to enhance marketing effectiveness and extend its reach, but rather one of how to focus (or limit) within the specific context of a better-not-more life goal and finite resource budget. The essay synthesizes concise reviews of recent books and finds implications for revisions to marketing and macromarketing principles and practices

Study of the betulin enriched birch bark extracts effects on human carcinoma cells and ear inflammation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pentacyclic triterpenes, mainly betulin and betulinic acid, are valuable anticancer agents found in the bark of birch tree. This study evaluates birch bark extracts for the active principles composition.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>New improved extraction methods were applied on the bark of <it>Betula pendula</it> in order to reach the maximum content in active principles. Extracts were analyzed by HPLC-MS, Raman, SERS and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy which revealed a very high yield of betulin (over 90%). Growth inhibiting effects were measured <it>in vitro</it> on four malignant human cell lines: A431 (skin epidermoid carcinoma), A2780 (ovarian carcinoma), HeLa (cervix adenocarcinoma) and MCF7 (breast adenocarcinoma), by means of MTT assay. All of the prepared bark extracts exerted a pronounced antiproliferative effect against human cancer cell lines. In vivo studies involved the anti-inflammatory effect of birch extracts on TPA-induced model of inflammation in mice.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The research revealed the efficacy of the extraction procedures as well as the antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of birch extracts.</p