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.

Induced resistance of Norway spruce, variation of phenolic compounds and their effects on fungal pathogens

Abstract: Summary Three clones of Norway spruce (Picea abies) were studied for their response to mass-inoculation with the blue-stain fungus Ceratocystis polonica. The effect of different pretreatments (fungal inoculation and wounding) before mass-inoculation was investigated for their possible role in an acquired resistance reaction. Pretreated trees showed enhanced resistance to the subsequent mass-inoculation relative to control trees that received no pretreatment. Furthermore, the fungal colonization of inoculated trees was less than that of wounded trees. The phenolic content of the bark, analysed by RP-HPLC, was compared in trees receiving different treatments. Trees inoculated with C. polonica had higher average concentration of (+)-catechin, taxifolin and trans-resveratrol than wounded trees. Both inoculated and wounded trees had higher average concentrations of these compounds than control trees. The effect of the phenolic extract of Norway spruce bark on the growth of the root rot fungus Heterobasidion annosum and the blue-stain fungi C. polonica and Ophiostoma penicillatum were investigated in vitro. Heterobasidion annosum was not negatively affected, and the extracts had fungistatic effects on the blue-stain fungi. The growth of O. penicillatum was more inhibited than the growth of the more aggressive C. polonica.

Microbial keratinases: industrial enzymes with waste management potential

Abstract: Proteases are ubiquitous enzymes that occur in various biological systems ranging from microorganisms to higher organisms. Microbial proteases are largely utilized in various established industrial processes. Despite their numerous industrial applications, they are not efficient in hydrolysis of recalcitrant, protein-rich keratinous wastes which result in environmental pollution and health hazards. This paved the way for the search of keratinolytic microorganisms having the ability to hydrolyze “hard to degrade” keratinous wastes. This new class of proteases is known as “keratinases”. Due to their specificity, keratinases have an advantage over normal proteases and have replaced them in many industrial applications, such as nematicidal agents, nitrogenous fertilizer production from keratinous waste, animal feed and biofuel production. Keratinases have also replaced the normal proteases in the leather industry and detergent additive application due to their better performance. They have also been p...

Measurement of ethanol concentration using solvent extraction and dichromate oxidation and its application to bioethanol production process.

Abstract: A method for measuring the ethanol concentration in a yeast culture broth was developed using both microtubes and a 96-deepwell microplate. The strategy involved first the solvent extraction of ethanol from the yeast culture broth and measurements of the ethanol concentration using the dichromate oxidation method. Particular focus was made on selecting the extraction solvent as well as determining the measurable range of ethanol concentrations using this solvent extraction-dichromate oxidation method. This method was developed as an assay format in 2.0-ml microtubes and 1.2-ml 96-deepwell microplates, and the ethanol concentration in the batch cultures and fed-batch fermentations was measured. Tri-n-butyl phosphate [non-alcoholic solvent, density = 0.9727, solubility in water = 0.028% (w/v)] was used for solvent extraction when measuring the ethanol concentration from the yeast culture broth. The maximum detectable ethanol concentration was 8% (v/v) when 10 g potassium dichromate in 100 ml of 5 M sulfuric acid was used. The concentrations determined from the solvent extraction-dichromate oxidation methods were remarkably similar to those of gas chromatography in which samples were prepared from seven experiments, such as four batch cultures and three fed-batch fermentations.

Effects of formaldehyde to urea mole ratio on thermal curing behavior of urea–formaldehyde resin and properties of particleboard

Abstract: As a part of abating the formaldehyde emission (FE) of urea–formaldehyde (UF) resin, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of formaldehyde to urea (F/U) mole ratio on thermal curing behavior of UF resins and properties of PB bonded with them. UF resins synthesized at different F/U mole ratios (i.e., 1.6, 1.4, 1.2, and 1.0) were used for the manufacture of PB. Thermal curing behavior of these UF resins was characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). As the F/U mole ratio decreases, the gel time, onset and peak temperatures, and heat of reaction (ΔH) increased, while the activation energy (Ea) and rate constant (k) were decreased. The amount of free formaldehyde of UF resin and FE of PB prepared decreased in parallel with decreasing the F/U mole ratio. The internal bond strength, thickness swelling, and water absorption of PB was slightly deteriorated with decreasing the F/U mole ratio of UF resins used. These results indicated that as the F/U mole ratio decreased, the FE of PB was greatly reduced at the expense of the reactivity of UF resin and slight deterioration of performance of PB prepared. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 1787–1792, 2006

Efficacy and Safety of Aclidinium Bromide Compared with Placebo and Tiotropium in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Results from a 6-week, Randomized, Controlled Phase Iiib Study

Abstract: Background: This randomized, double-blind, Phase IIIb study evaluated the 24-hour bronchodilatory efficacy of aclidinium bromide versus placebo and tiotropium in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: Patients received aclidinium 400 μg twice daily (morning and evening), tiotropium 18 μg once daily (morning), or placebo for 6 weeks. The primary endpoint was change from baseline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second area under the curve for the 24-hour period post-morning dose (FEV1 AUC0–24) at week 6. Secondary and additional endpoints included FEV1 AUC12–24, COPD symptoms (EXAcerbations of chronic pulmonary disease Tool-Respiratory Symptoms [E-RS] total score and additional symptoms questionnaire), and safety. Results: Overall, 414 patients were randomized and treated (FEV1 1.63 L [55.8% predicted]). Compared with placebo, FEV1 AUC0–24 and FEV1 AUC12–24 were significantly increased from baseline with aclidinium (∆ = 150 mL and 160 mL, respectivel...