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.

An overview of electrospun nanofibers and their application in energy storage, sensors and wearable/flexible electronics

Abstract: Wearable and flexible electronics are currently a highly demanded and passionate topic of research owing to their excellent combination of related base functions with stretchability and foldability. Textiles are a universal interface and ideal substrate for the integration of nanomaterials, electronics, and optical devices. Smart/e-textiles are fabrics that have been designed and developed with new technologies that provide benefits to the wearer with increased functionality. The rapid development of technology in smart clothing has opened new innovations and is leading to promising applications, such as the ability to communicate with other devices, conduct energy, self-powered sensing, and safeguarding the user from environmental hazards. This review article focuses on the recent developments in the field of smart/e-textiles and mainly gives attention to electrospun nanofiber-based materials and methods used in wearable/flexible electronics, sensors and energy storage.

Inflammatory angiogenesis in atherogenesis--a double-edged sword

Abstract: The adventitia and the outer layers of media of an atherosclerosis-prone arterial wall are vascularized by vasa vasorum. Upon growth of an atherosclerotic lesion in the intima, neovascular sprouts originating from the adventitial vasa vasorum enter the lesion, the local proangiogenic micromilieu in the lesion being created by intramural hypoxia, by increased intramural oxidant stress, and by inflammatory cell infiltration (macrophages, T cells and mast cells). The angiogenic factors present in the lesions include various growth factors, chemokines, cytokines, proteinases, and several other factors possessing direct or indirect angiogenic activities, while the current list of antiangiogenic factors is smaller. An imbalance between endogenous inducers and inhibitors of angiogenesis, with a predominance of the former ones, is essential for the development of neovessels during the progression of the lesion. By providing oxygen and nutrients to the cells of atherosclerotic lesions, neovascularization initially tends to prevent cellular death and so contributes to plaque growth and stabilization. However, the inflammatory cells may induce rupture of the fragile neovessels, and so cause intraplaque hemorrhage and ensuing plaque destabilization. Pharmacological inhibition of angiogenesis in atherosclerotic plaques with ensuing inhibition of lesion progression has been achieved in animal models, but clinical studies aiming at regulation of angiogenesis in the atherosclerotic arterial wall can be designed only after we have reached a firm conclusion about the role of angiogenesis at various stages of lesion development--good or bad.

Organic acids in root exudates and soil solution of Norway spruce and silver birch

Abstract: Here we report on low molecular weight organic acids in root exudates and soil solutions of Norway spruce and silver birch grown in rhizoboxes, sterile microcosms and the field. Monocarboxylic acids dominated in all three experimental systems. Formic, shikimic and oxalic acids were found in both spruce and birch microcosms. Fumaric acid was exclusive for spruce, while lactic, malonic, butyric and phthalic acids were only found in the birch microcosms. In spruce rhizoboxes oxalic, lactic, formic, butyric and pthalic acids were found. In addition, citric, adipic, propionic, succinic and acetic acids were observed in the rhizosphere of birch. Behind root windows in the field, only oxalic and lactic acids were found in the rhizosphere of spruce fine roots, whereas also formic and phthalic were observed close to birch fine roots, all at low concentrations. The rhizosphere of mycorrhizal short roots of birch contained butyric acid along with the acids observed for birch fine roots. Our results emphasise that characteristics of both the trees e.g. species, developmental stage, root density, mycorrhizal status, and the experimental system, i.e. growth conditions are important for the composition and the amount of organic acids. We conclude that the rhizosphere of birch contains more organic acids at higher concentrations than spruce.

Species of Ophiostomataceae isolated from Picea abies infested by the bark beetle Ips typographic

Abstract: Isolations of microorganisms were made from the sapwood of Norway spruce (Picea abies) (L.) Karst. infested by the spruce bark beetle Ips typographus L. The most important group of fungi isolated, the species of Ophiostomataceae, is treated. Ten species were isolated, of which Ophiostoma polonicum Siem. appears to be the most active invader of the sapwood. Three new species are described, Ophiostoma ainoae sp. nov., O. flexuosum sp. nov. and O. cucullatum sp. nov. and three new combinations are proposed, O. davidsonii (Olchow. & Reid.) comb. nov., O. europhioides (Wright & Cain) comb. nov. and O. sagmatospora (Wright & Cain) comb. nov.