On the Impact of Piracy on Innovation in the Presence of Technological and Market Uncertainty

This paper analyses the effect of piracy on innovation in the presence of R&D competition with technological and market uncertainty. With a single innovating firm facing technological uncertainty, piracy unambiguously retards innovation. However, with R&D competition where firms face market and technological uncertainties, we show that piracy may enhance overall innovation. We also show that if the difference between the probabilities of success of the innovating firms is relatively large then piracy enhances the R&D investment and profit of the less efficient firm.Innovation, market uncertainty, R&D race, technological uncertainty

Historia de mujeres y mujeres en la historia: evolución, contribución, retos y relevancia (Debates)

This essay provides an overview of the ‘history of women/about women’ by drafting an account of this history as a separate and valid current in the field of history in the 1950s and 1960s consistent with important developments in social history. It briefly investigates the precursors of ‘women’s history,’ examines the emphases and distinctive contributions made by this school of thought, and explores its principal intersections with feminist theory and politics. It also examines the subsequent emergence of gender perspectives and post-colonial studies.Este ensayo hace un recorrido a través de la elaboración de ‘historia de/sobre mujeres’ como una corriente distinta y válida dentro de la disciplina de la historia en las décadas de 1950 y 1960 en congruencia con desarrollos importantes dentro de la historia social. Indaga brevemente en los precursores de ‘historia de mujeres’, estudia los énfasis y aportes distintivos de esta corriente, y explora sus intersecciones importantes con la teoría y política feminista. Examina también la emergencia posterior de las perspectivas de género y estudios poscoloniales

Biological activities and medicinal properties of neem (Azadirachta indica)

Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) is perhaps the most useful traditional medicinal plant in India. Each part of the neem tree has some medicinal property and is thus commercially exploitable. During the last five decades, apart from the chemistry of the neem compounds, considerable progress has been achieved regarding the biological activity and medicinal applications of neem. It is now considered as a valuable source of unique natural products for development of medicines against various diseases and also for the development of industrial products. This review gives a bird's eye view mainly on the biological activities of some of the neem compounds isolated, pharmacological actions of the neem extracts, clinical studies and plausible medicinal applications of neem along with their safety evaluation

Agonistic Association of Lepidoptera and Fungus in the Development of Leaf-spot Disease in High Altitude Mango and its Control

Plants are common prey for pests, though plants at high altitudes are less prone to diseases. However, our sample proved to be an exception, as disease in plants have become a major problem in North India, especially in old, crowded orchards where there is excessive shade .Mango, our test plant, is well adapted to tropical and subtropical climate. Here we considered the mechanism of disease initiation in the mango leaves by the entry of a fungal pathogen- Cercospora mangiferae, and its possible agonistic association with an insect of the Lepidoptera group, Procontarinia sp . Our aim is to suggest a pesticide to avert the entry and reduce the occurrence of the disease. The specimen, collected from a place called Jorolle (NH 88) near Sundernagar, is 10 kms away from the Beas-Sutlej confluence in the state of Himachal Pradesh, during the months of January-February, the temperature recorded was between 7-14°C. The environment in the vicinity of the mango orchard was dry, windy, and grimy and plagued by vehicular emissions. There were predominantly 2 kinds of leaf spots-a white and a brown spot. The spread of the disease started from the lower mature leaves to the upper younger leaves. Enormity of the infection was much greater in leaves having galls along their margins. The gall formation results due to the mechanical damage caused by the infection due to a midge fly (Procontarinia sp). The average diameter of galls ranged between 3-4mm. As affirmed earlier, the leaves with large number of galls are the primary  home for the fungus- Cercospora mangiferae where they reside in larger numbers. Although the mechanism of an agonistic association is obscure but the possibility of such an association cannot be ruled out completely; where the primary infection caused by the midge insect paves the way for secondary infection by the fungus. Our sole intention was to prevent occurrence of such an association, by inhibiting both the infections from occurring individually. Our test pesticide belonged to the Malathione group. Its main component is monocrotophos which interferes not only with the nerve impulse transmission of the insect but also damages the cell wall of the fungal pathogen thereby attending both the problems. The experiment was performed with different concentrations of pesticide and it was observed that at 43.5%w/w it was effective enough to prevent 100% germination. Our studies provide a conclusive result which suggests that if the pesticide, at the effective concentration is sprayed till run-off, the young tender leaves of Mangifera indica will be protected from both the midge insect as well as the fungal pathogen.Key words: Chausa, Langra, Dashehari, Leaf spot, Cercospora mangiferae, White spot, Brown Spot, Gall, Procontarinia sp., pesticide, Malathione, Hilcron, Monocrotophos Arup Kumar Mitra et al. Agonistic Association of Lepidoptera and Fungus in the Development of Leaf-spot Disease in High Altitude Mango and its Control.  J Phytol 2/7 (2010) 28-36

Cultura política y subalternidad en América Latina

Spa: Cómo escribir una historia que incluya a la gran mayoría de personas que vivieron en el pasado?  Por medo siglo esta pregunta ha tenido una cierta urgencia, no sólo por razones historiográficas sino también porque la respuesta ha sido considerada central en los proyectos que  buscan ganar la inclusión en la sociedad de grupos sociales previamente excluidos.  En la década de 1960 la historia social creció rápidamente y tuvo bastante éxito en ayudar a nuestra comprensión de muchos grupos sociales, como los esclavos, las mujeres y los obreros, especialmente en lo tocante a su vida cotidiana y sus labores.  Sin embargo, estas personas que entraron en la historia social raramente aparecieron en la historia política, salvo en resistencia a la política dominante.Primera edició

Charla culinaria

En esta nota, que se presenta como un proyecto aún en estado de concepción, se busca profundizar en la relevancia de los alimentos tanto para la sociedad como para la cultura, así como su repercusión en los espacios y la imagen de las mujeres. Al mostrar ejemplos de carácter ritual en la sociedad india, se destaca que los alimentos tienen una resonancia más allá del espacio donde se preparan y son consumidos. Se nos muestra que también en torno a los alimentos y la cocina se construyen identidades no sólo individuales sino nacionales, culturales y políticas. Asimismo, se busca destacar y encontrar puntos de comparación entre las sociedades mexicana e india en torno a los alimentos y su preeminencia

¿Existe un sistema de castas?

La presencia de la casta como fuerza clave en la política de la India contemporánea y la literatura casi inagotable y de constante aparición sobre la misma afirma su importancia como concepto y práctica en la India hoy. Lo que hace al sistema de castas duradero pero difícil de manejar es su capacidad de cambio y adaptación