Building a Web marketing experience: the Maltese case of Where's Everybody

L’attività di web marketing, concepita fino ad oggi come esclusiva dell’impresa, sta vivendo un’evoluzione in senso sociale e partecipativo che dipende dall’evoluzione stessa del Web. Quello che in particolare si modifica non è lo scopo, che rimane sempre la soddisfazione del cliente e la sua fidelizzazione, ma l’avere a disposizione di utilizzo una “cassetta degli strumenti” più ampia e malleabile. Partendo dalla considerazione di questo fatto, la scelta dell’argomento del presente lavoro di ricerca è avvenuta in seguito a un’esperienza lavorativa di tre mesi presso il Dipartimento di Marketing & Public Relation di Where’s Everybody, una delle maggiori aziende di produzione televisiva a Malta. Questa opportunità mi è stata offerta grazie a una borsa di studio del Progetto Leonardo. Alla luce di questa prospettiva, si è cercato innanzitutto di fornire un’accurata analisi delle variabili del macro-ambiente che rendono Malta un caso particolare in Europa, sia economico, politico che sociale e culturale. In seguito si è definito il micro-ambiente, ovvero il panorama televisivo locale e la concorrenza, con particolare attenzione alla descrizione e al target dei programmi di Where’s Everybody. Il capitolo successivo è dedicato a come il Web 2.0 sta modificando gli assi portanti dell’attività di marketing, e in generale al marketing 2.0. In particolare, saranno delineate le principali caratteristiche del web marketing, non tutte ma soltanto quelle relative al lavoro svolto e all’azienda presa in considerazione. Queste sono: lo spostamento di valore dalla transazione alla relazione; il paradigma di comunicazione many-to-many e i suoi elementi fondanti (comunità virtuale, user-generated content e passaparola); l’empowerment del consumatore e il cambiamento della definizione del marketing mix. Queste considerazioni vengono applicate nella seconda parte del lavoro, in cui vengono analizzati gli strumenti e le applicazioni di web marketing utilizzati dall’azienda maltese, prima, dopo e durante il mio periodo di lavoro. Essi sono analizzati per siti Internet, social networks e servizi streaming e on-demand. In particolare, l’analisi dei punti di forza e di debolezza dell’impiego di questi strumenti serve come spunto per presentare suggerimenti di miglioramento per la strategia complessiva, in accordo con i concetti chiave del Web 2.0, ovvero collaborazione e partecipazione degli utenti. Con ciò si dimostra che Where’s Everybody ha saputo cogliere le opportunità di evoluzione del marketing in un’ottica 2.0, comprovate dai dati forniti dall’Authority delle Comunicazioni e dalle indagini di mercato svolte dalla Media Warehouse di Malta. Lo scopo finale è quindi quello di fornire, in prima istanza, una mappatura generale dello scenario di cambiamento del Web 2.0 e conseguentemente dell’attività di marketing. In seconda istanza, preso il caso pratico di una casa di produzione televisiva non italiana, il presente lavoro si propone di offrire un esempio di azienda capace di sfruttare al meglio le effettive potenzialità dei nuovi strumenti di web marketing, sottolineando le strategie adottate e l’abilità di creare valore aggiunto per i suoi clienti

Edible wild plant Heracleum pyrenaicum subsp orsinii as a potential new source of bioactive essential oils

Many Heracleum L. taxa (Apiaceae) are used as food and spices, and in traditional medicine. In this work, the chemical composition of Heracleum pyrenaicum subsp. orsinii (Guss.) F. Pedrotti and Pignatti root, leaf and fruit essential oils, their antimicrobial activity and cytotoxic effect on malignant and normal cells were investigated for the first time. The composition of the oils was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Monoterpenes prevailed in the root oil, with beta-pinene (38.6%) being dominant, while in the leaf oil, sesquiterpenes, mostly (E)-nerolidol (20.5%) and (E)-caryophyllene (17.0%), were the most abundant constituents. The fruit oil contained the majority of aliphatic esters, mainly octyl acetate (36.8%) and octyl hexanoate (22.1%). The antimicrobial activity was determined by microdilution method against eight bacteria and eight fungi (standard strains, clinical or food isolates). The best antibacterial activity, better than the activity of ampicillin, was shown by the root oil against Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The strongest antifungal activity, stronger than the activity of ketoconazole, was exhibited by the leaf and root oils against Trichoderma viride, and by the root oil against Aspergillus ochraceus. The cytotoxic effect of the oils, determined by MTT test, was prominent against malignant HeLa, LS174 and A549 cells (IC50 = 6.49-14.56 µg/mL). On the other hand, the oils did not show toxicity against normal MRC-5 cells at tested concentrations (IC50 > 200.00 µg/mL). It can be concluded that investigated H. pyrenaicum subsp. orsinii oils represent potential new raw materials for food and pharmaceutical industry

Polyphenol rich extracts of Geranium L. species as potential natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents

OBJECTIVE: Plants and plant extracts are of great scientific interest due to the chemical diversity and pharmacological properties of present bioactive molecules. The Geranium L. species are widely used in ethnomedicine. In the current study, the total phenolic and tannin content, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of methanol extracts of eight Geranium species were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The total phenolic and tannin content were determined by the FC method. Antioxidant capacity was evaluated in FRAP, DPPH, and biochemical assays, while antimicrobial activity was examined using the broth microdilution method. RESULTS: The high total phenolic (170.64- 636.32 mg GAE/g dry extract) and tannin content (37.80-414.02 mg GAE/g DE), along with significant total antioxidant (FRAP values 1.13-8.80 mmol Fe2+/g) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (SC50 values 4.24-34.52 µg/mL) were observed. The prominent antioxidant capacity was confirmed in biochemical assays (OS values -1.47 – -13.02). The extracts exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against ATTC strains (MICs dominantly in the range of 12.5-200 µg/mL) as well as against clinical isolates of E. coli (MICs mostly 50 and 100 µg/mL). The pronounced antioxidant and antimicrobial activity can be due to the high phenolic content, particularly due to the presence of hydrolyzable tannins. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the high content of polyphenols, pronounced antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, the examined extracts are promising natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents with the potential medicinal purpose and use as a functional food

Antimicrobial activity of novel chalcones and modulation of virulence factors in hospital strains of Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are frequent multiresistant nosocomial pathogens that cause wound and pulmonary infections in hospitalized patients. As being increasingly resistant to most clinically available antibiotics, there is a constant need for exploration of new substances that could kill them or inhibit their growth, or alternatively inhibit some of their essential virulence factors. Chalcones are chemical compounds with well-documented antimicrobial potential. The aim of this study was to examine effectiveness of four newly-synthesized chalcones against the multiresistant clinical strains of A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa. Antibacterial activity of chalcones was investigated with broth-microdilution test and time-dependent killing assay. Synergistic effects of tested compounds with antibiotics (meropenem, amikacin and ciprofloxacin) were determined by checkerboard assay. The effects of chalcones on expression of virulence factors in P. aeruginosa (pyocyanin production, swimming and swarming motility) and A. baumannii (twitching and surface-associated motility), along with their biofilm production, were also examined. The obtained results indicate substantial antimicrobial activity of the tested chalcones (MICs = 100–175 μg/mL) and several synergistic interactions with antibiotics, as well as notable reduction in expression of all investigated virulence factors. These promising results may constitute a good basis for further research

Chemical Composition and Bioactivity of the Essential Oils of Heracleum pyrenaicum subsp. pollinianum and Heracleum orphanidis

The objective of this research was to analyze the chemical composition, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of Heracleum pyrenaicum subsp. pollinianum (Bertol.) F. Pedrotti & Pignatti (HPP) and H. orphanidis Boiss. (HO) essential oils. The composition of the oils was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. β-Pinene (35.1%) was the most abundant compound in HPP root oil, while (Z)-falcarinol (80.0%) dominated in HO root oil. (E)-Nerolidol (28.5%) was the main constituent in HPP leaf oil. HPP fruit oil, as well as HO leaf and fruit oils mainly contained aliphatic esters, mostly octyl acetate (50.5-84.5%). Antimicrobial screening was performed by microdilution method against eight bacterial and eight fungal strains. The strongest antibacterial activity was shown by both root oils (MICs 0.02-0.60 mg/mL and MBCs 0.04-2.50 mg/mL for HPP, and MICs 0.02-1.25 mg/mL and MBCs 0.04-2.50 mg/mL for HO), while the best antifungal potential was exhibited by HPP fruit oil (MICs 0.30-0.60 mg/mL and MFCs 0.60-1.25 mg/mL) and HO leaf oil (MICs 0.15-0.63 mg/mL and MFCs 0.30-1.25 mg/mL). The tested root and fruit oils exhibited strong cytotoxic effect, which was determined by MTT test against HeLa (IC50 7.53-21.07 μg/mL) and LS174 (IC50 24.16-58.86 μg/mL) cell lines

Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities of Selected Hieracium L. s. str. (Asteraceae) Extracts and Isolated Sesquiterpene Lactones

Antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities were tested for dried MeOH extracts of Hieracium calophyllum (CAL), H. coloriscapum (COL), H. pseudoschenkii (PSE), H. valdepilosum (VAL) and H. glabratum (GLA) herbs (flowering aerial parts), their 2 sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) 8-epiixerisamine A and crepiside E, and dried CH2Cl2 extract of H. scheppigianum (SCH) herb. In microdilution test, extracts showed activity on all tested microorganisms (8 bacteria, 10 fungi). The best effect was exhibited by SCH and CAL on Salmonella Typhimurium (MIC=1.7–2.5 mg/mL MBC=3.4–5.0 mg/mL), and SCH and VAL on Candida albicans (MIC=2.5 mg/mL MFC=5.0 mg/mL). SLs showed notable effect on all tested fungi Aspergillus ochraceus, Penicillium funiculosum, C. albicans and C. krusei (MIC=0.15–0.4 mg/mL MFC=0.3–0.8 mg/mL). In MTT test, extracts inhibited growth of all tested cancer cells (HeLa, LS174 and A549), with the best effect on HeLa (IC50=148.1 μg/mL for SCH, and 152.3–303.2 μg/mL for MeOH extracts); both SLs were active against HeLa cells (IC50=46.2 μg/mL for crepiside E and 103.8 μg/mL for 8-epiixerisamine A). Extracts and SLs showed good safety profile on normal MRC-5 cells

Essential oils of three cow parsnips - composition and activity against nosocomial and foodborne pathogens and food contaminants

Although some widespread, native cow parsnips (Heracleum L. spp., Apiaceae) had broad medicinal and culinary applications throughout history, the knowledge about their volatile constituents is insufficient. This work investigates the composition and bioactivities of H. sphondylium L. (HSPH), H. sibiricum L. (HSIB) and H. montanum Schleich. ex Gaudin (HMON) essential oils. The composition was tested by GC and GC-MS. (Z)-β-Ocimene was the most abundant in HSPH (28.9%) and HMON (20.4%) root oils, while in HSIB root oil, β-pinene (26.2%), methyl eugenol (22.3%) and elemicin (25.6%) prevailed. Leaf and flower oils were dominated by various sesquiterpenes (germacrene D, β-sesquiphellandrene, (E)-β-farnesene and/or (E)-caryophyllene) and/or phenylpropanoids (apiole, methyl eugenol, elemicin and/or (Z)-isoelemicin). Octyl acetate (57.5-67.1%) was the main constituent of all fruit oils. The antimicrobial activity was screened by a microdilution method against eight bacteria and eight fungi. The strongest antimicrobial effect, in several cases better than the activity of antibiotics, was shown by HSPH (MICs = 0.12-3.30 mg mL-1) and HMON (MICs = 0.10-1.30 mg mL-1) flower oils against bacteria, and HSIB fruit oil against fungi (MICs = 0.15-0.40 mg mL-1). The MTT test revealed that the oils were not or weakly cytotoxic against human malignant HeLa, LS174 and/or A549 cells (except HSPH root oil; IC50 = 5.72-24.31 μg mL-1) and that tested oils were not toxic against human normal MRC-5 cells (at 200.00 μg mL-1). Significant activity observed against microorganisms that are the common cause of foodborne diseases, food contamination and/or hospital-acquired infections justifies certain traditional uses of the investigated plants and represents a good basis for further research of these Heracleum oils