Information systems evaluation: Mini-track introduction

abreast of technological innovations. Yet, companies are becoming more aware that a competitive advantage can not be achieved, or even maintained by utilizing the latest technology. Indeed, it is becoming more apparent that a strategic competitive advantage will not be achieved through embraced technology alone but, in the way companies approach the evaluation, management and exploitation of their human, organizational and technology based assets and infrastructure. In support of this, Sohal et al. (2001) reported the results of a large-scale survey that demonstrated the limited Information Technology (IT) enabled business benefits resulting in service and manufacturing sectors. The survey highlighted that many of the benefits achieved through adopting IT/IS were limited to improvements in productivity and cost alone. Clearly, such results are surprising given the emphasis the normative literature has placed on the strategic benefits achievable from IT/IS. As a result of the far reaching conclusions reported by Sohal et al. (2001), many organisational have begun to question the scope and depth of those IT-enabled business benefits that are not achieved by those companies proactively adopting IT/IS

DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF COLON SPECIFIC DRUG DELIVERY OF BUDENOSIDE

Objective: The objective of this research is to design and evaluate a colon specific drug delivery of budenoside using guar gum as enzyme dependent polymer.Methods: Matrix tablets of Budenoside were prepared by using wet granulation technique with different proportions of guar gum and evaluated for different evaluation tests and release profiles.Results: The formulations were studied for post compression parameters like hardness, friability, weight variation and drug content are in acceptable range of pharmacopoeial specifications. In vitro swelling and Invitro release studies was carried out at different pH ranges (1.2, 6.8 and 7.4). The release profile of budenoside from the matrix tablets is dependent upon the gelling property of guar gum and degradation of guar gum polysaccharide by colonic bacteria. High concentration of guar gum showed less drug release in the stomach as an enzyme dependent polymer. In vitro release data revealed that the presence of rat caecal content in dissolution medium showed the significant increase in drug release (97.12%), when compared to drug release study in absence of caecal content (76.86).Conclusion: The results were subjected to study the release kinetics. The values of correlation coefficient indicated that the drug release followed Zero order drug release kinetics with Peppas drug release mechanism. In vitro drug release studies shows that guar gum with high concentration (25%) has optimum release in a controlled manner for 24 hours.Â

Role of Citrate Ions in the Phosphonate-based Inhibitor System for Mild Steel in Aqueous Chloride Media

The corrosion inhibition efficiency of phosphonic acid and its derivatives for the inhibition of corrosion of mild steel in neutral chloride media is decided by its ability to form protectivefilm over the surface. In this context, the effect of addition of metal cations and certain organic compounds, such as citrate in conjugation with phosphonic acid to impart synergistic corrosion inhibition has been explored. The experiments were carried out using various concentrations of trisodium citrate and zinc ions in an aqueous solution of 2-carboxyethyl phosphonic acid (2CEPA) at 25 ppm. The corrosion characteristics have been determined using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy together with determination of corrosion rate by weight-loss method. It has been observed that a combination of inhibitive ions, namely citrate, ZCEPA, and zinc ions at 25 ppm gives 96 per cent inhibition efficiency and this corrosion inhibition is due to the formation of a protective film. By increasing the concentration of citrate beyond 25 ppm, the corrosion inhibition efficiency decreases. This paper discusses the role of citrate and zinc ions in imparting added corrosion inhibition ability using 2CEPA on the basis of experimental results

Yield and quality improvement in Bt cotton through foliar application of trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole

In agriculture, fungi can cause serious damage, resulting in critical losses of yield, quality and profit. Fungicides help in reducing the damage caused by fungus, reduce the yield loss and play a major role in quality improvement. The present investigation was carried out at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University to evaluate the influence of trifloxystrobin 50% + tebuconazole 25% (Nativo 75WG) on the yield and quality improvement on Bunny hybrid Bt cotton.  Nativo 75WG was applied on the leaves of cotton plants at 40-60 (DAS) and 60-80 (DAS) at the concentration of 250, 300, 350 g/ha and Carbendazim @ 500 g/ha.  The observations recorded were related to yield and quality attributes in all treatments. The application of Nativo @ 300 g/ha showed a significant increase in boll weight (4.86 g), lint yield per boll (3.86 g boll-1) and lint per plant (138.48 g plant -1) than other treatments. With respect to seed cotton yield and harvest index (0.37 %), the Nativo @ 300 g/ha registered a higher yield (20.2 %) and HI than control under the irrigated situation. Foliar application of treatments during the flowering stage (40-60 DAS) and boll formation stages (60-80 DAS) had increased the quality parameters such as fiber length (2.5% staple length, 50 % staple length) and fiber strength. Further, the foliar spray of  Nativo @ 300 g/ha applied to bunny hybrid Bt cotton had resulted in a higher yield (2920.15 kg ha-1) due to an increase in leaf area index, greenness of leaf and higher dry matter production of the plant

3-(4-Methoxy­benz­yl)-1-benzothio­phene

In the title compound, C16H14OS, the dihedral angle between the benzothio­phene ring system and the benzene ring is 72.41 (12)°. A weak inter­molecular C—H⋯π inter­action from the benzene ring to the benzothio­phene ring system is observed in the crystal structure

Methyl 9-(4-bromo­phen­yl)-8a,9,9a,10,11,12,13,14a-octa­hydro-8H-benzo[f]chromeno[3,4-b]indolizine-8a-car­box­ylate

In the title compound, C27H26BrNO3, the mean plane of the naphthalene ring system makes a dihedral angle of 22.0 (1)° with the bromo-substituted benzene ring. The pyrrolidine and piperidine rings exhibit envelope and chair conformations, respectively. An inter­molecular C—H⋯Br inter­action is observed

Ethyl 2-acetoxy­methyl-1-phenyl­sulfonyl-1H-indole-3-carboxyl­ate

In the title compound, C20H19NO6S, the phenyl ring of the phenyl­sulfonyl group makes a dihedral angle of 83.35 (5)° with the indole ring system. The mol­ecular structure exhibits a number of short intramolecular C—H⋯O contacts

Diethyl 3,4-bis(acetoxy­meth­yl)thieno[2,3-b]thio­phene-2,5-dicarboxyl­ate

In the title compound, C18H20O8S2, the dihedral angle between the two thio­phene rings is 2.33 (7)°. The methyl C atoms of the ester groups are disordered over two positions; the site-occupancy factors of the terminal methyl C atoms are 0.632 (18):0.368 (18) and 0.623 (17):0.377 (17). The mol­ecular structure is stabilized by weak intra­molecular C—H⋯O inter­actions and the crystal structure is stabilized through weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O inter­actions