Digital and Social Media Marketing - Growing Market Share for Construction SMEs

The construction industry has not been an early adopter of social media and digital marketing, due largely to lack of knowledge of and skills in these areas. Nevertheless, effectively deployed, digital and social media marketing can be a disruptive force allowing smaller residential construction companies to build brand awareness and win business from larger competitors. This study uses a qualitative approach - interviews with residential construction small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and adjacent industry actors - to obtain data addressing the key questions of the residential construction sector SMES' digital marketing attitudes and capabilities; whether digital and social media marketing is as or more effective than traditional marketing strategies; and the challenges facing SMEs in making effective use of digital marketing strategies. The findings confirm widespread recognition of the value of digital marketing strategies among SMEs but reveal that uptake and effective use of digital marketing is undermined by deficiencies in external environment analysis and a lack of the investment and training needed to plan, monitor and maintain effective and up-to-date marketing mixes, strategies and objectives. Based on the findings, recommendations are offered for improving residential construction SMEs’ uptake and effective use of digital and social media marketing

Computational molecular characterization of the flavonoid rutin

In this work, we make use of a model chemistry within Density Functional Theory (DFT) recently presented, which is called M05-2X, to calculate the molecular structure of the flavonoid Rutin, as well as to predict the infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV-Vis) spectra, the dipole moment and polarizability, the free energy of solvation in different solvents as an indication of solubility, the HOMO and LUMO orbitals, and the chemical reactivity parameters that arise from Conceptual DFT. The calculated values are compared with the available experimental data for this molecule as a means of validation of the used model chemistry

The Creation and Physiological Relevance of Divergent Hydroxylation Patterns in the Flavonoid Pathway

Flavonoids and biochemically-related chalcones are important secondary metabolites, which are ubiquitously present in plants and therefore also in human food. They fulfill a broad range of physiological functions in planta and there are numerous reports about their physiological relevance for humans. Flavonoids have in common a basic C6-C3-C6 skeleton structure consisting of two aromatic rings (A and B) and a heterocyclic ring (C) containing one oxygen atom, whereas chalcones, as the intermediates in the formation of flavonoids, have not yet established the heterocyclic C-ring. Flavonoids are grouped into eight different classes, according to the oxidative status of the C-ring. The large number of divergent chalcones and flavonoid structures is from the extensive modification of the basic molecules. The hydroxylation pattern influences physiological properties such as light absorption and antioxidative activity, which is the base for many beneficial health effects of flavonoids. In some cases antiinfective properties are also effected

Investigation of metal–flavonoid chelates and the determination of flavonoids via metal–flavonoid complexing reactions

Flavonoids constitute a large group of polyphenolic phytochemicals with antioxidant properties which are overwhelmingly exerted through direct free radical scavenging. Flavonoids also exhibit antioxidant properties through chelating with transition metals, primarily Fe(II), Fe(III) and Cu(II), which participate in reactions generating free radicals. Metal–flavonoid chelates are considerably more potent free radical scavengers than the parent flavonoids and play a prominent role in protecting from oxidative stress. To unravel the origin of their potent biological action extensive physico–chemical studies were undertaken to reveal the chemical structure, chelation sites, assess the impact of the metal/ligand ratio on the structure of the complexes and the capacity of flavonoids to bind metal ions. In spite of such extensive efforts, data on the composition, structure and complex-formation properties are incomplete and sometimes even contradictory. The aim of this paper is to give a personal account on the development of the field through a retrospective evaluation of our own research which covers approximately 40 complexes of flavonoids from different flavonoids subclasses (rutin, quercetin, 3-hydroxyflavone, morin and hesperidin) with several metal ions or groups and suggest directions for future research. Special emphasis will be given to the site of the central ion, the composition of the complexes, the role of pH in complex formation, the stability of metal–flavonoid complexes and their potential application for analytical purposes

Spectrophotometric investigation of the uranyl–phenylephrine system

Using spectrophotometric methods and pH-metric measurements, it was found that the uranyl ion and phenylephrine form a 1:2 complex in the pH region 2.50 – 4.25 with two absorption maxima at 314.2 nm and 340.6 nm. The thermodynamic stability constant at I = 0 and T = 298 K (room temperature) of the UO2(II)–phenylephrine complex, [UO2(C9H12O2N)2]2+, is log β20= 14.0 and ΔGÆ2 = –79.6 kJ mol-1. A linear dependence of the absorbance at 340.6 nm on the concentration of phenylephrine was obtained in the range from 0.0025 mol dm-3 to 0.0245 mol dm-3 using a solution of 0.025 mol dm-3 UO2(NO3)2 at pH = 3.90 and I = 0.075 mol dm-3. The measurement error was 2.1 %

A spectrophotometric investigation of the complex between titanyl oxalate and 3-hydroxyflavone in water ethanolic mixtures

It has been established, by the application of suitable spectrophotometric methods and pH-metric measurements, that titanyl oxalate anion and 3-hydroxyflavone (3HF) form a [TiO(C2O4)2(C15H9O3)2]4 complex. The investigation of the composition and the concentration stability constant of the complex were carried out in a 50 % aqueous ethanol solution at room temperature (20°C), in the pH range from 1.9 to 9.0. The concentration stability constant of the complex, log b2, ranged from 16.65 at pH 5.0 to 13.96 at pH 7.0. The conditions for the spectrophotometric determination of 3HF by means of the complex formation were investigated in the concnetration range from 2.5×105 to 3.0×104 mol dm3 3HF

Determination of quercetin in pharmaceutical formations via its reaction with potassium titanyloxalate. Determination of the stability constants of the quercetin titanyloxalato complex

Asimple, rapid and accurate procedure for the quantitative determination of quercetin in its pure form and in formulations has been developed. The method is based on the spectrophotometric determination of a complex formed between quercetin and potassium titanyloxalate in 50 % ethanolic solutions. To characterize the quercetin titanyloxalato complex, the stability constants of the complex were determinated potentiometrically and spectrophotometrically at different temperatures (T = 26.0 oC, 34 oC and 39.0 oC), as well as at different ionic strengths (I = 5.0Ã10-4 mol dm-3, 3.0Ã10-2 mol dm-3 and 6.0Ã10-2 mol dm-3) and the thermodynamic parameters were calculated. As quercetin is usually conjugated to vitamin C in pharmaceutical formulations, two procedures for the quantitative determination of quercetin by this complexing reaction were tested both in the absence and presence of ascorbic acid. In both procedures, the Beer law was obeyed over the same concentration range of quercetin, i.e., 0.85 mg mL-1Ã16.9 mg mL-1. In the first procedure in the absence of ascobic acid the molar absorptivity coefficient of the quercetin-titanyloxalate complex is a = 2.49Ã104 mol-1 dm3 cm-1, Sandells sensitivity of the method is S = 1.35Ã10-2 mg cm-2 and the detection limit is d = 0.67 mg mL-1. Whereas, in the presence of ascorbic acid (second procedure) a = 3.04Ã104 mol-1 dm3 cm-1, S = 1.11Ã10-2 ug mL-1. The proposed method was verified for the determination of quercetin in pharmaceutical dosage forms