Forest Research Institute

About: Forest Research Institute is a facility organization based out in Dehra Dūn, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Forest management. The organization has 5320 authors who have published 7625 publications receiving 185876 citations.

Aclidinium improves exercise endurance, dyspnea, lung hyperinflation, and physical activity in patients with COPD: a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial.

Abstract: This study evaluated the effects of aclidinium bromide, a long-acting muscarinic antagonist indicated for maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), on exercise endurance, dyspnea, lung hyperinflation, and physical activity In this randomized, double-blind, crossover study, patients with stable COPD and moderate-to-severe airflow limitation received aclidinium 400 μg twice daily or placebo via Genuair®/Pressair® a for 3 weeks (2-week washout between treatment periods) The primary endpoint was change from baseline to Week 3 in endurance time, measured by constant work rate cycle ergometry testing at 75% peak incremental work rate Changes from baseline in intensity of exertional dyspnea (Borg CR10 Scale®) and trough inspiratory capacity were secondary endpoints Additional endpoints included changes from baseline in other spirometric, plethysmographic, and physical activity (assessed by objective accelerometer measurement) parameters Efficacy endpoints were analyzed using an analysis of covariance model In total, 112 patients were randomized and treated (mean age 603 years; mean post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s 17 L [567% predicted]; mean endurance time 4857 s) After 3 weeks, endurance time was significantly increased with aclidinium versus placebo (treatment difference 585 s; p < 005) At Week 3, aclidinium significantly reduced dyspnea intensity at isotime during exercise (treatment difference -063; p < 005) and improved trough inspiratory capacity (treatment difference 78 mL; p < 005) versus placebo Significant improvements in spirometric, plethysmographic, and some physical activity parameters were observed with aclidinium versus placebo These results suggest that aclidinium significantly improves exercise endurance, exertional dyspnea, hyperinflation, and physical activity in patients with COPD ClinicalTrialsgov identifier: NCT01471171 ; URL: http://wwwclinicaltrialsgov

Performance of participatory forest management in Ethiopia: institutional arrangement versus local practices

Abstract: The field of community-based natural resource management has been receiving growing scientific attention over the past two decades. Most studies, however, focus on investigating institutional designs and outcomes and pay scant attention to how community-based natural resource management arrangements are carried out in practice. Through an in-depth ethnographic case study in one of the pioneer participatory forest management (PFM) arrangements in southwest Ethiopia, this article demonstrates a significant disparity between the PFM institutional principles and actual local forest management practices. Our study confirms the usefulness of a practice-based approach to understand and explain how a newly introduced institutional arrangement is acted upon by local actors situated in their social, political and historical context. Our findings also contribute to empirical knowledge useful to instigate dialog and to critically reflect on whether and what kind of intervention is actually needed to positively influence forest management practices on the ground.

Analysis of gene expression during bud burst initiation in Norway spruce via ESTs from subtracted cDNA libraries

Abstract: We have made and partially sequenced two subtracted cDNA libraries, one representing genes predominantly expressed in a tree from an early-flushing family of Norway spruce (early-flushing library; EFL) and the second from a late flushing family (late flushing library; LFL), during 4 weeks before bud burst. In the EFL, expressed sequence tags (ESTs) encoding proteins of the photosynthetic apparatus and energy metabolism and proteins related to stress (abiotic and biotic) and senescence were abundant. ESTs encoding metallothionein-like and histone proteins as well as transcription factors were abundant in the LFL. We used quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to study the expression patterns of 25 chosen genes and observed that the highest levels of activity for most genes were present when plants were still ecodormant. The results indicate that the late flushing is not a result of a delay in gene activity, but is rather associated with an active transcriptional process. Accordingly, certain metabolic processes may be turned on in order to prevent premature flushing. We discuss the putative role of the studied genes in regulation of bud burst timing. Among the candidate genes found, the most interesting ones were the DNA-binding proteins, water-stress-related genes and metallothioneins. Expression patterns of some genes involved in chemical modification of DNA and histones indicate that epigenetic factors are involved in the timing of bud burst. In the obtained transcriptomes, we could not find genes commonly believed to be involved in dormancy and bud set regulation (PHY, CRY, ABI etc.) in angiosperm plants.