Deciphering the enigma of human-lion coexistence in India.

Asiatic lions (Panthera leo leo) have increased in range and abundance in densely populated India, a rare example of coexistence between humans and large carnivores. We sought to determine the underlying mechanisms of this coexistence and to infer lessons that could help conserve carnivores in multiuse landscapes, globally. Using data collected from 2012 to 2017 from conflict-compensation records, we studied the spatiotemporal trends in human-lion conflict across the lion's range in India.

Extraction of Cellulose Micro-Whiskers from Rice Husk: A Greener Approach.

Herein, we report a greener, total chlorine free, ultrasonic physicochemical process of extraction and purification of cellulose micro-whiskers from rice husk. The initial step involves the treatment of the rice husk with a concentrated aqueous alkali solution for the duration of 6 h at 80 °C in round bottom flask in order to completely dissolve lignin and silica. After alkali pretreatment, the product obtained was thoroughly washed with distilled water, filtered and dried.

Selective sorption of Fe(II) ions over Cu(II) and Cr(VI) ions by cross-linked graft copolymers of chitosan with acrylic acid and binary vinyl monomer mixtures.

Low-cost and environment-friendly polymeric adsorbents for sorption of heavy metal ions were synthesized by simultaneous graft copolymerization and cross-linking of acrylic acid alone and with comonomers glycidyl methacrylate, acrylamide and acrylonitrile onto chitosan using free radical initiator and cross-linker in aqueous medium. Structural aspects of cross-linked graft copolymers have been characterized by FTIR, SEM, TGA/DTA, XRD and swelling behavior at pH 2.2, 7.

Synthesis and characterization of graft copolymers of chitosan with NIPAM and binary monomers for removal of Cr(VI), Cu(II) and Fe(II) metal ions from aqueous solutions.

To develop pH responsive hydrogels, N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) has been grafted on to chitosan by free radical initiation method using azoisobutrylnitrile (AIBN) as an initiator. The optimum grafting conditions were worked out for grafting of NIPAM onto 1g of chitosan by varying one reaction parameter at a time and keeping all other parameters constant. Binary monomers were grafted for five different concentrations of comonomers acrylic acid (AAc), acrylamide (AAm) and acrylonitrile (AN) at optimum grafting conditions evaluated for GMA alone onto chitosan.

Grafting of GMA and some comonomers onto chitosan for controlled release of diclofenac sodium.

In order to develop pH sensitive hydrogels for controlled drug release we have graft copolymerized glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) with comonomers acrylic acid, acrylamide and acrylonitrile, onto chitosan (Ch) by using potassium persulphate (KPS) as free radical initiator in aqueous solution. The optimum percent grafting for GMA was recorded for 1g chitosan at [KPS]=25.00 × 10(-3)mol/L, [GMA]=0.