ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT IN WHEAT

Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), commonly known as scab, has been a severe problem for wheat producers in recent years. This study estimates the economic value of crop losses suffered by wheat producers in the 1990s. Nine states and three wheat classes are included in the analysis, which considers the effects of scab on both production and average prices received. The cumulative value of losses (1991-97) in scab-affected regions is estimated at $1.3 billion. Two states, North Dakota and Minnesota, account for over two-thirds of these dollar losses.Fusarium Head Blight, scab, crop losses, wheat, Production Economics,

DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF STABILITY INDICATING RP-HPLC METHOD FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS ESTIMATION OF ETHINYL ESTRADIOL AND GESTODENE IN BULK AND PHARMACEUTICAL DOSAGE FORMS

Objective: The principal objective of this study is to develop and validate a simple, new, fast, selective, precise, and economic stability-indicating the RP-HPLC method for the simultaneous estimation of Ethinyl estradiol and Gestodene in a bulk and pharmaceutical dosage form. Methods: The present method was developed and validated on a Waters HPLC system using Phenomenex Gemini C18(250 mm × 4.6 mm i.d., 5 µm particle size) column and mobile phase composition of phosphate buffer: Acetonitrile (75:25 v/v) and the pH was adjusted to 3.6 using dilute orthophosphoric acid. The system was regulated at 1.0 ml/min flow rate at 237 nm UV detection. Results: The two drugs Ethinyl Estradiol and Gestodene, were eluted at 1.788 min and 3.475 min retention time, respectively. The analytical parameters such as accuracy, precision, linearity, LOD, LOQ, ruggedness, and robustness were used for validating the developed method according to International Conference on Harmonisation [ICH] guidelines. Linearity was exhibited over the concentration range of 10-50µg/ml and 25-125µg/ml for Ethinyl Estradiol and Gestodene, respectively. The method revealed the Limit of Detection and Quantitation values for Ethinyl Estradiol and Gestodene were 1.399µg/ml, 3.909µg/ml and 4.24µg/ml, 11.85µg/ml, respectively. The stress testing was carried out to give rise to degradation products by exposing the drugs to acid, alkali, thermal, oxidative, photolytic, and hydrolytic degradation. The obtained data showed that the content of Active pharmaceutical ingredients and the degradation products were successfully separated without any interference, which confirmed the stability-indicating nature of the developed method. Conclusion: The new, simple, rapid, selective, precise, and economic stability-indicating RP-HPLC method has been successfully developed and validated. It can be satisfactorily applied for the periodic laboratory quantitative estimation of Ethinyl Estradiol and Gestodene in formulations and active pharmaceutical ingredients

WORLD MALT AND MALTING BARLEY: COMPETITION, MARKETING, AND TRADE

Recent trends in production marketing, trade, and policies affecting world malting barley and malt sector are examined. A spatial equilibrium model of production and trade is used to assess the effects of alternative levels of supply, demand, and policy variables on composition and direction of malting barley and malt trade flows.malting barley, malt, beer, trade, spatial equilibrium, Marketing, International Relations/Trade,

Patent Pooling for Promoting Access to Antiretroviral Drugs (ARVs) – A Strategic Option for India

The current HIV/AIDS scenario in India is quite grim with an estimated 2.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in 2008, just behind South Africa and Nigeria. The anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) remain the main stay of global HIV/AIDS treatment. Over 30 ARVs (single and FDCs) available under six categories viz., NRTIs (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors), NNRTIs (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors), Protease inhibitors, the new Fusion inhibitors, Entry inhibitors-CCR5 co-receptor antagonists and HIV integrase strand transfer inhibitors. The major originator companies for these ARVs are: Abbott, Boehringer Ingelheim (BI), Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Merck, Pfizer, Roche, and Tibotec. Beginning with zidovidine in 1987, all the drugs are available in the developed countries. In India, about 30 ARVs are available as generics manufactured by Aurobindo, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh; Cipla Limited, Goa; Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Pune, Maharashtra; Hetero Drugs, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh; Macleods Pharmaceuticals, Daman; Matrix Laboratories, Nashik, Maharashtra; Ranbaxy, Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh; and Strides Arcolab, Bangalore, Karnataka. The National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) set up in 1992 by the Govt. of India provides free ARVs to HIV positive patients in India since 2004. The drugs available in India include both single drugs and FDCs covering both first line and second line ARVs. Even while there are claims of stabilization of the disease load, there is still huge gap of those who require ARVs as only about 150,000 PLHA receive the ARVs from the Govt. and other sources. Access to ARVs therefore is still a cause of serious concern ever since India became fully Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)-complaint in 2005. Therefore, the Indian pharmaceutical companies cannot make generics for those for drugs introduced post-2005 due to product patent regime. Other concerns include heat stable, other better formulations and second line ARVs for adults and more drugs and formulations for paediatric groups, that are still to be widely available in India and other developing countries. To examine whether strong intellectual property (IP) protection systems are to be considered important barriers for the limited or lack of access to ARVs, we studied the patent profile of the ARVs of the originator companies within and outside India. We could record 93 patents in the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). The originator companies have been also aggressively filing and enforcing patents in India. There have been a few efforts by companies like Gilead and GSK to grant licenses to generic manufacturers in developing countries, ostensibly to promote access to ARVs through lower (two-tier) pricing. These steps are considered as too little and too late. There is an urgent need to look for alternative strategies to promote access to ARVs both linked to and independent of IPRs. Patent pooling as a viable strategy mooted by the UNITAID should be seriously explored to promote access to ARVs. India is ideally suited for trying out the patent pool strategy as most of the global requirement of affordable ARV drugs for HIV/AIDS treatment is sourced from Indian generic companies

Blossom-end rot of Anab-e-Shahi grape (Vitis vinifera L.)

To assess the association of N, P, K, Ca and Mg nutrition with "Blossom-end rot" of Anab-e-Shahi grape, petioles, leaf blades, berries and peels from five normal and five rot-affected vineyards were analysed. Results of the analysis indicated that the defective calcium assimilation by fruits is responsible for this disorder, rather than the differential uptake of calcium by vines.Fruchtendenfäule bei der Rebsorte Anab-e-Shahi (Vitis vinifera L.)Um die Beziehung der N-, P-, K-, Ca- und Mg-Ernährung zur Fruchtendenfäule (Blossom-end rot) der Rebsorte Anab-e-Shahi zu klären, wurden Blattstiele, Blattspreiten, Beeren und Beerenhäute aus je 5 Rebanlagen ohne erkrankte und mit erkrankten Beeren untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß weniger die verschieden starke Aufnahme des Calciums durch die Rebe als eine unzulängliche Assimilation des Calciums durch die Früchte für das Auftreten der Krankheit verantwortlich ist

A 3.4 Gbps 27-1 Pseudo Random Bit Sequence generator for Serial-Data Communications in 0.18�m CMOS

This paper presents a 3.4 Gbps Pseudo Random Bit Sequence (PRBS) generator with sequence length of 27-1. The circuit uses 7- Bit shift register with a linear current mode XOR gate and current mode D flip-flop and works up to data rates of 3.4 Gbps. The simulated data jitter of the 3.4 Gbps output is 2.75ps with full swing output voltage of 1.8V and the binary-sequence repeats itself after 127 cycles PRBS generator implemented in Cadence 0.18�m CMOS technology