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.

Pharmacokinetic study of memantine in healthy and renally impaired subjects.

Abstract: Objective Our objective was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of the Alzheimer's disease treatment memantine in subjects with normal and impaired renal function. Methods This was a single-center, single-dose, open-label study. Thirty-two subjects aged 18 to 80 years were assigned to 1 of 4 groups (8 subjects each) based on baseline creatinine clearan normal renal function (>80 mL/min), mild renal impairment (50–80 mL/min), moderate renal impairment (30–49 mL/min), and severe renal impairment (5–29 mL/min). A single 20-mg memantine dose was administered under fasting conditions. Assessments included pharmacokinetic and safety measures. Results Thirty-one subjects completed the study. There were no relevant differences in maximum memantine plasma concentration between subjects with normal and impaired renal function of any severity. The mean area under the plasma concentration versus time curve extrapolated to infinity was similar between subjects with normal and mildly impaired renal function but increased by 60% (95% confidence interval [CI], 24%–97%) and 115% (95% CI, 77%–152%) in subjects with moderate and severe renal impairment, respectively. Simulations predicted steady-state maximum concentration values of 82 ng/mL (95% CI, 70–95 ng/mL), 85 ng/mL (95% CI, 70–101 ng/mL), and 128 ng/mL (95% CI, 109–147 ng/mL) in healthy subjects, those with mild renal impairment, and those with moderate renal impairment, respectively, for the recommended dosing regimen of 10 mg twice daily; for subjects with severe renal impairment, a steady-state maximum concentration value of 84 ng/mL (95% CI, 68–101 ng/mL) was predicted for a dosing regimen of 5 mg twice daily. Conclusion On the basis of the predicted steady-state plasma concentrations with the use of the current dosing regimen of 10 mg twice daily, no dosage adjustments are needed for patients with mild or moderate renal impairment. A target dose of 5 mg twice daily is recommended in patients with severe renal impairment. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2006) 79, 134–143; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2005.10.005

Pine Wilt Disease in Korea

Abstract: In Korea, pine trees are both culturally and spiritually important. According to the fourth forest resource survey from 1996 to 2005, pines occur widely on some 1,507,118 ha of land representing 23.5% of Korea’s forest area and 15.1% of the country’s land mass (Kwon 2006). Pines have been the dominant tree species in Korean forests even after the attack by the pine caterpillar in 1970s, the outbreak of pine needle gall midge in 1980s, and the occurrence of black pine blast scale in 1980s and 1990s. Because of the serious losses from pine wilt disease, which was first reported in Busan in 1988, this disease is a serious threat to Korea’s pine forests (Yi et al. 1989). Despite the strenuous efforts to manage the disease over the last 19 years, pine wilt has spread to Mokpo, Sinan, and Yeongam in Jeonnam Province (west), Daegu, Gumi, and Andong in Gyeongbuk Province (inland), and Gangneung and Donghae in Gangwon (northeast) (Fig. I.10). Since 2006, at least in the southern Korea, spread of the disease has slowed as the result of intensive management (Fig. I.11). Until 2005 Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora) and Japanese black pine (P. thunbergii) were reported as natural hosts of pine wilt disease in Korea; however, in 2006 Korean white pine (P. koraiensis) was found as being affected by pine wilt disease. This section gives a brief history and management strategy for pine wilt disease in Korea.

Bayesian Methods for Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping Based on Model Selection: Approximate Analysis Using the Bayesian Information Criterion

Abstract: We describe an approximate method for the analysis of quantitative trait loci (QTL) based on model selection from multiple regression models with trait values regressed on marker genotypes, using a modification of the easily calculated Bayesian information criterion to estimate the posterior probability of models with various subsets of markers as variables. The BIC-delta criterion, with the parameter delta increasing the penalty for additional variables in a model, is further modified to incorporate prior information, and missing values are handled by multiple imputation. Marginal probabilities for model sizes are calculated, and the posterior probability of nonzero model size is interpreted as the posterior probability of existence of a QTL linked to one or more markers. The method is demonstrated on analysis of associations between wood density and markers on two linkage groups in Pinus radiata. Selection bias, which is the bias that results from using the same data to both select the variables in a model and estimate the coefficients, is shown to be a problem for commonly used non-Bayesian methods for QTL mapping, which do not average over alternative possible models that are consistent with the data.

Chemical and Morphological Characteristics of Malaysian Cultivated Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) Fiber

Abstract: In this study, an attempt is made to understand the chemical and morphological characteristics of Malaysian cultivated kenaf fractions (bast, core, and whole stem). Results based on morphologyand chemical analysis indicate that bast and core fiber fractions in the kenaf are significantly different, although the chemical composition of kenaf is quite similar to the woody mass. In the case of whole stem fibers, it is concluded that the effective length of fibers from the whole stem is reasonably good for the purpose of making printing papers.