Geochemistry and depositional environment of fuchsite quartzites from Sargur Group,western Dharwar Craton,India

Meso-Neoarchean fuchsite quartzites are present in different stratigraphic positions of Dharwar Craton including the oldest(~3.3 Ga)Sargur Group of western Dharwar Craton.The present study deals with the petro-graphic and geochemical characteristics of the fuchsite quartzites from the Ghattihosahalli belt to evaluate their genesis,depositional setting and the enigma involved in the ancient sedimentation history.Their major mineral assemblages include quartz,fuchsite,and feldspars along with accessory kyanite and rutile.The geochemical com-positions are characterized by high SiO_(2),Al_(2)O_(3),low MgO,CaO,strongly enriched Cr(1326–6899 ppm),Ba(1165–3653 ppm),Sr(46–210 ppm),V(107–868 ppm)and Zn(11–158 ppm)contents compared to the upper continental crust(UCC).The UCC normalized rare earth element(REE)patterns are characterized by depleted light REE[(La/Sm)UCC=0.33–0.95]compared to heavy REE[(Gd/Yb)_(UCC)=0.42–1.65]with conspicuous positive Eu-anomalies(Eu/Eu^(*)=1.35–18.27)characteristic of hydrothermal solutions evidenced through the interlayered barites.The overall major and trace element systematics reflect a combined mafic-felsic provenance and suggest their deposition at a passive continental margin environ-ment.The comprehensivefield,petrographic,and geo-chemical studies indicate that these quartzites are infiltrated by Cr-richfluids released during high-grade metamorphism of associated ultramafic rocks.The Sargur and the subse-quent Dharwar orogeny amalgamated diverse lithounits from different tectonic settings,possibly leading to the release of Cr-richfluids and the formation of fuchsite quartzite during or after the orogeny.Thesefindings sug-gest a pre-existing stable crust prior to the Sargur Group and the link between orogenic events and various mineral deposits in the Dharwar Craton.

Rapid metabolic fingerprinting with the aid of chemometric models to identify authenticity of natural medicines: Turmeric, Ocimum, and Withania somnifera study

Herbal medicines are popular natural medicines that have been used for decades.The use of alternative medicines continues to expand rapidly across the world.The World Health Organization suggests that quality assessment of natural medicines is essential for any therapeutic or health care applications,as their therapeutic potential varies between different geographic origins,plant species,and varieties.Classification of herbal medicines based on a limited number of secondary metabolites is not an ideal approach.Their quality should be considered based on a complete metabolic profile,as their pharmacological activity is not due to a few specific secondary metabolites but rather a larger group of bioactive compounds.A holistic and integrative approach using rapid and nondestructive analytical strategies for the screening of herbal medicines is required for robust characterization.In this study,a rapid and effective quality assessment system for geographical traceability,species,and variety-specific authenticity of the widely used natural medicines turmeric,Ocimum,and Withania somnifera was investigated using Fourier transform near-infrared(FT-NIR)spectroscopy-based metabolic fingerprinting.Four different geographical origins of turmeric,five different Ocimum species,and three different varieties of roots and leaves of Withania somnifera were studied with the aid of machine learning approaches.Extremely good discrimination(R^(2)>0.98,Q^(2)>0.97,and accuracy=1.0)with sensitivity and specificity of 100%was achieved using this metabolic fingerprinting strategy.Our study demonstrated that FT-NIR-based rapid metabolic fingerprinting can be used as a robust analytical method to authenticate several important medicinal herbs.

Effect of Light Intensity and pH on Cell Density Assessed by Spectrophotometry for the Unicellular Algae Chlorella vulgaris

In this study, an effective environment for Chlorella vulgaris growth is sought after. As a substitute source of food and feed, increasing the cell density of Chlorella culture is one of the keys to ensuring sustainability. It can be showed from different studies that optimum light intensity and pH could increase cell density. In this study, the effects of light and pH on the growth rate of C. vulgaris were observed in photobioreactor. A specific wavelength (682 nm) was determined by UV-Vis Spectrophotometry to carry out the further analysis. The light intensities were set at 7409, 9261 and 11,113 lux;pH values were set at 7, 8 and 9 respectively. The experimental results depicted the light intensity of 9261 lux as the best due to the higher number of cells (48.56 × 106 cells/mL) obtained using this intensity. In terms of pH, without pH control, cell numbers were found to be highest under the light intensity of 9261 lux. When pH was controlled, it was found that under the optimum light intensity, pH control between 7.0 and 7.5 was the optimum range for the growth of C. vulgaris. Moreover, this method of study may possibly be a promising source of low cost culture for Chlorella vulgaris.

Application of Physics for Understanding the Earth’s Reverse Gravity

The prevalent view endorses that the force of gravitation of the earth is directed towards the centre of the planet, in consequence of which, temperature and pressure at the deepest part of the planet must be very high. This view leads to the conclusion that the inner core or deepest part of the planet, though constituted of iron through which magnetic lines of force emanate, cannot be magnetic. The author has shown that amongst the earth’s three geospheres, fluid outer core that occurs between mantle and inner core, is a void zone which, because of the association of some particles from the mantle, apparently shows fluid characteristics. Occurrence of a virtually void zone in the planet’s deep interior separated by a solid mantle and iron inner core would generate a reversely directed gravitational force due to which pressure and temperature at the deepest part of the earth would be sufficiently low. Hence, the earth’s solid inner core, constituted of iron, is a dipolar permanent magnet. The paper envisages that the concept of reverse gravity presented here needs to be validated by physicists since it is an original view. The concept put forward here, not only explains the cause of earth’s magnetic phenomena, but also elucidates continental drifting and several other features of the planet in a scientifically accepted manner, thereby refuting the possibility of occurrence of convection current in the mantle which is solid and rigid.

Comprehensive Record of Megafossils from the Rajmahal Basin, Jharkhand, India

The study provides the first comprehensive record of the plant megafossils mainly Glossopteris flora from the Barakar Formation, Rajmahal Open Cast Mine, Rajmahal Basin, Jharkhand. The assemblage is composed of pteridophytes and gymnosperms. The pteridophytes comprise Equisetalean axes (order Equisetales), whereas, gymnosperms include nine species of Glossopteris including Glossopteris communis, G. damudica, G. gigas, G. indica, G. lanceolatus, G. longicaulis, G. oldhamii, G. taenioides, G. tenuifolia along with Vertebraria indica and Noeggerathiopsis hislopi. The present investigation adds to the knowledge of the Glossopteris flora of India, especially that of the Rajmahal Basin from where the plant fossil records are sporadic. The area is a treasure for palaeobotanical studies as evinced by different fossil localities. However, the localities are degraded by mining activities performed by private companies and hence systematic investigation for such vegetation is vital to create a palaeobotanical database before their complete degradation. The floral assemblage compares with earlier known assemblages, recorded from the Barakar Formation of other Lower Gondwana basins of peninsular India. .

Matrix-Material Fabrication Technique and Thermogravimetric Analysis of Banana Fiber Reinforced Polypropylene Composites

From the environmental consideration,it would be very interesting to use natural fibers such as banana,jute or coir as reinforcement materials instead of artificial fibers or any kind of synthetic materials.Natural fibers have many advantages over synthetic ones.Polypropylene banana fiber composites(PPBC)are prepared using untreated and alkali-treated banana fibers at 10-25%by weight of the fiber loading.The thermal properties of polypropylene natural fiber composites are very important for technological uses.Thermogravimetric measurements show that the incorporation of banana fiber into PP enhances the thermal stability of composites containing treated fibers,in comparison with untreated fibers.A composite of biodegradable polypropylene(PP)reinforced with short banana natural fibers was prepared by melt blending followed by a hot press molding system.The thermal properties of matrix materials were studied using thermogravimetric analyzers TGA units.It is observed that the introduction of short banana fibers slightly improved the thermo oxidative stability of PP-banana composites.Physical and chemical changes occurred through dehydration,phase transition,molecular orientation,crystallinity disruption,oxidation and decomposition,and incorporation of several functional groups.Systematic investigations of the thermal behavior of polymers in gas,vacuum or inert atmosphere give the knowledge of how change takes place in polymers.To understand such changes thermogravimetric analysis(TGA)and thermal analysis(TG)were performed.It is observed reinforcement of short banana fiber leads to little improvement in the thermooxidative stability of PPBC.Due to the enhancement of thermo-mechanical properties,such composites may be used as building materials namely roof materials,selling materials and many other engineering applications.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Oxytetracycline Dihydrate from Aqueous Solution Using Nano ZnO and ZnO.xBaTiO3 (x = 3%, 18%, 33% and 48%)

Traditional wastewater mostly contains pharmaceutical ingredients. Therefore, the wastewater must be completely free from antibiotics before its release into the environment. In the present study, photocatalytic degradation was done to investigate the removal efficiency of Oxytetracycline Dihydrate (OTC) using ZnO, ZnO/3%BaTiO3 (3 BZ), ZnO/18%BaTiO3 (18 BZ), ZnO/ 33%BaTiO3 (33 BZ) and ZnO/48%BaTiO3 (48 BZ) under UV light. After the exposure time of 420 min, about 99.57% and 97.87% of OTC was degraded using ZnO and 3 BZ respectively. Further, increasing the amount of BaTiO3 in ZnO prolongs the degradation time. Therefore, faster efficiency was found using ZnO nanoparticles. The observed reaction rate constant using ZnO was 0.00933 min-1 which decreased to 0.00532 min-1 using 48 BZ, indicating the decrease of reaction rate for increasing the amount of BaTiO3. Hence, the use of ZnO photocatalyst is anticipated to be a promising technique for the photocatalytic degradation of contaminated wastewater with oxytetracycline antibiotics using UV light.

Development of Modified Glasses by Transparent, Functional Hybrid Sol-Gel Nano-Ceramic Coatings, a Comparative Study

This paper concentrates on the development of glasses with self-cleaning surfaces exhibiting high water contact angles. In this study, we prepared super-hydrophobic nano-ceramic coated glass based on titania & silica using simple sol-gel & dip coating methods and studied the best composition of the coatings by altering ratios of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP)/tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) with different homogenizing agents. We characterized the coatings by surface roughness measurement, percentage of optical transmission, static contact angle, near-infrared (NIR) transmission, and diffuse reflectance. The fabrication of coatings on glass substrates played an important role in increasing the water contact angle of about 95° and visible & NIR transmission of about 90%. We compared our modified glass substrate with commercial low emissivity (Low E) glass using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, which showed pure amorphous surface claiming excellent wettability and thus the prepared glass substrate could have a variety of applications in different fields.

Extraction and characterization of alumina nanopowders from aluminum dross by acid dissolution process

A significant amount of aluminum dross is available as a waste in foundry industries in Bangladesh. In this study, alumina was extracted from aluminum dross collected from two foundry industries situated in Dhamrai and Manikgang, near the capital city, Dhaka. Aluminum dross samples were found to approximately contain 75wt% Al2O3 and 12wt% SiO2. An acid dissolution process was used to recover the alumina value from the dross. The effects of various parameters, e.g., temperature, acid concentration, and leaching time, on the extraction of alumina were studied to optimize the dissolution process. First, Al(OH)3 was produced in the form of a gel. Calcination of the Al(OH)3 gel at 1000°C, 1200°C, and 1400°C for 2 h produced θ-Al2O3,(α+θ)-Al2O3, and α-alumina powder, respectively. Thermal characterization of the Al(OH)3 gel was performed by thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis(TG/DTA) and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC). The phases and crystallite size of the alumina were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The dimensions of the alumina were found to be on the nano level. The chemical compositions of the aluminum dross and alumina were determined by X-ray fluorescence(XRF) spectroscopy. The microstructure and morphology of the alumina were studied with scanning electron microscopy. The purity of the alumina extracted in this study was found to be 99.0%. Thus, it is expected that the obtained alumina powders can be potentially utilized as biomaterials.

Eastern Dharwar Craton,India:Continental lithosphere growth by accretion of diverse plume and arc terranes

东方 Dharwar Craton 的绿岩带，印度作为合成 tectonostratigraphic 岩层是 reinterpreted 增大导出羽毛、会聚的导出边缘的 magmatic 基于新高精确的元素的数据定序。前者被 komatiite 加 Mg-tholeiitic 暗岩统治暴烈的协会，与深水， siliciclastic 和 banded 熨形成(BIF ) 沉积岩石。羽毛融化了在 < 在薄 rifted 下面的 90 km 保存 intraoceanic 和大陆人边缘方面的大陆人岩石圈。联系了 Mesoarchean 海洋的外壳的碱的暗岩记录再循环 subduction，在岩流圈孵化了，并且与从一根异构的披风羽毛的 Mg 暗岩同时代地爆发了。一起，暗岩碱的暗岩在 Th/Yb 对 Nb/Yb 坐标空间沿着 Phanerozoic 披风数组阴谋的 komatiites-Mg，代表 zoned 羽毛，证实这些水库在 Neoarchean 披风是在场的。会聚的边缘 magmatic 协会被 tholeiitic 统治到组合地类似于最近的 intraoceanic 弧的计算碱的暗岩。也，在极其弄空的披风采购的 boninitic 流动是在场的，并且有 Mg-andesites-Nb 的弧暗岩的协会充实从幼仔的 subduction 描绘的新生代弧记录的 basalts-adakites (< 20 妈) ，热、海洋的岩石圈。因而，热 subduction 在 Neoarchean 正在操作的新生代风格。这些多样的暴烈的协会被装配在 2.7 Ga 在 subduction 生长 orogen 给合成岩层，同时代地与在 2.7 Ga，和联系 orogenic 金牌矿化作用的全球 accretionary orogen。太古代的 lithospheric 披风，在厚、倔强、快活特殊，形成对增大的羽毛和会聚的边缘岩层补足当移居的弧捕获了厚羽毛高原，和倔强的、低密度，羽毛融化的残余结合了增大的使成鳞状的羽毛弧外壳。

Antihyperglycemic activity,antihyperlipedemic activity,haematological effects and histopathological analysis of Sapindus mukorossi Gaerten fruits in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

Objective:To investigate the antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemie properties of hydroalcoholic extract of fruits of Sapindus mukorossi Caerlen and its beneficial effect on haeniatological parameters with histopathological analysis in streptpzotocin induced diabetic rats.Methods:Sapindus mukorossi fruits extract(250 and 500 mg/kg body weight) and standard drug glybenclamide(0.5 mg/kg body weight) were administered to diabetic rats.Effect of extract on hyperglycemia,hyperlipidemia and hematological parameters was studied in diabetic rats.Histopathological changes in diabetic rat pancreas were also observed after extract and glybenclamide treatment.Results:Daily oral administration of Sapindus mukorossi fruits extract(250 and 500 mg/kg body weight) and glybenclamide for 20 days showed beneficial effects on blood glucose level(P【0.01) and lipid level.The extract has a favorable effect on the histopathological changes of the pancreas in streptozotocin induced diabetes.Conclusions: These findings reveal that the hydroalcoholic extract of Sapindus mukorossi fruits extract possesses antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemie properties.In addition.the extract can prevent various complications of diabetes and improve some haeniatological parameters.

Petrological Characteristics and Genesis of the Central Indian Ocean Basin Basalts

The Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) basalts are plagioclase-rich, while olivine and pyroxene are very few. The analyses of 41 samples reveal high FeOT (～10-18 wt%) and TiO 2 (～1.4-2.7 wt%) indicating a ferrobasaltic composition. The basalts have high incompatible elements (Zr 63-228 ppm; Nb ～1-5 ppm; Ba ～15-78 ppm; La ～3-16 ppm), a similar U/Pb (0.02-0.4) ratio as the normal mid -oceanic basalt (0.16±0.07) but the Ba/Nb (12.5-53) ratio is much larger than that of the normal midoceanic ridge basalt (～5.7) and Primitive Mantle (9.56). Interestingly almost all of the basalts have a significant negative Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu*=0.78-1.00) that may have been a result of the removal of feldspar and pyroxene during crystal fractionation. These compositional variations suggest that the basalts were derived through fractional crystallization together with low partial melting of a shallow seated magma.

Antioxidant activity and identification of bioactive compounds from leaves of Anthocephalus cadamba by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry

Objective:To evaluate the antioxidant potential of different extract/fractions of Anthocephalus cadamba（A.cadamba）（Roxb.） Miq.（Rubiaceae） and study the tentative identification of their active constituents.Methods:The extract/fractions were screened for antioxidant activity using various in vitro assays viz.DPPH assay,ABTS assay,superoxide anion radical scavenging assay, reducing power assay and plasmid DNA nicking assay.Total phenolic content of extract/fractions was determined by colorimetric method.An ultra-performance LC-electrospray-quadrupoletime of flight mass spectrometry method was used to analyse the active constituents of extract/ fractions of A.cadamba.Results:The ethyl acetate fraction was found to be most active fraction in all the assays as compared to other extract/fractions.The IC50 value of ethyl acetate fraction （ETAC fraction） was 21.24μg/mL,1.12μg/mL,9.68μg/mL and S7.81μg/mL in DPPH assay, ABTS assay,reducing power assay and superoxide scavenging assay respectively.All the extract/ fractions also showed the potential to protect the plasmid DNA（pBR322） against the attack of hydroxyl radicals generated by Fenton’s reagent.The bioactive compounds were identified by UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS,by comparing the mass andλmax with literature values.Conclusions:The potential of the extract/fractions to scavenge different free radicals in different systems indicated that they may be useful therapeutic agents for treating radical-related pathologic damage.

Physical Properties,Morphology and Petrological Characteristics of Pumices from the Central Indian Ocean Basin

从中央印度洋盆(CIOB ) 收集的大约 400 轻石 clasts 为他们的形态学被学习并且基于他们的形状和尺寸被分类。样品范围在之间的一个多数 < 1 厘米和 36 厘米并且在在 equant 和过寺院生活的领域的 Zinggs 形状图阴谋。为大多数样品的 Corey 形状因素接近 0.7，它为 volcaniclastic 材料是普通的。物理性质象密度，比重，空比率，孔，潮湿内容和浸透的度那样，为 30 件轻石样品被决定。密度从 0.21 ～ 0.74 g/cm3 比重变化 1.84 ～ 3.27，空比率 2.21 ～ 10.67，孔 67% ～ 91% ，在压制 0.44 ～ 2.35 期间满意的潮湿和浸透的度从 26.5% ～ 86% 变化。双目望远镜和电子显微镜学研究表明 60% 泡被伸长， 30% 是球形的， 10% 是含纤维的。有长石和 clinopyroxenes 的斑晶的轻石展览 vitrophyric 质地的岩相学。X 光检查 diffractrogram 和矿物质分析证实斜长石是一个主要阶段，当石英和正长石不是不平常的时。Todorokite 在在一些轻石上在场的铁锰合金氧化物涂层是通常在场的。这份报纸也在 CIOB 有关轻石和玻璃碎片的争论起源钻研一些细节。

Comparative investigation of the free radical scavenging potential and anticancer property of Diospyros blancoi(Ebenaceae)

Objective: To investigate the comparative effects of Diospyros blancoi(Ebenaceae)leaves(DBL), root bark(DBRB) and stem bark(DBSB) on free radicals and cancer.Methods: The polyphenol contents, antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties were determined using standard spectrophotometric methods. Cytotoxicity and anticancer activities were performed on brine shrimp nauplii and Ehrlich ascite carcinoma cells, respectively.Results: Among the extracts, DBSB showed the highest total antioxidant capacity and reducing capacity on ferrous ion. Based on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities, DBSB showed(95.760 ± 0.343)% and(67.460 ± 2.641)%scavenging with IC50of(3.10 ± 0.17) and(50.00 ± 3.11) mg/m L, respectively. The IC50 values of standard butylated hydroxytoluene and catechin(CA) for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and hydroxyl radicals were(8.50 ± 0.25) and(75.00 ± 0.14) mg/m L,respectively suggesting that DBSB had a significant(P < 0.05) radical scavenging activity than standards. In lipid peroxidation inhibition assay, the inhibitory activity of the extracts and the standard was in the following order: DBSB > DBRB > CA > DBL.Also, the phenolic [(139.91 ± 3.924) mg gallic acid equivalent/g] and flavonoid contents[(412.00 ± 16.70) mg catechin equivalent/g)] of DBSB were higher than that of other extracts. In addition, the DBSB showed the moderate cytotoxic and anticancer properties.Conclusions: Our results indicate that Diospyros blancoi stem bark had the significant highest antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties as well as moderate anticancer activity.Hence, we assume that the anticancer activity of this plant can be, at least in part, attributed to its content in phenolic compounds as well as its significant free radical scavenging properties.

Development of carbon composite iron ore micropellets by using the microfines of iron ore and carbon-bearing materials in iron making

Iron ore microfines and concentrate have very limited uses in sintering processes. They are used in pelletization; however, this process is cost intensive. Furthermore, the microfines of non-coking coal and other carbon-bearing materials, e.g., blast-furnace flue dust(BFD) and coke fines, are not used extensively in the metallurgical industry because of operational difficulties and handling problems. In the present work, to utilize these microfines, coal composite iron oxide micropellets(2–6 mm in size) were produced through an innovative technique in which lime and molasses were used as binding materials in the micropellets. The micropellets were subsequently treated with CO2 or the industrial waste gas to induce the chemical bond formation. The results show that, at a very high carbon level of 22wt%(38wt% coal), the cold crushing strength and abrasion index of the micropellets are 2.5–3 kg/cm2 and 5wt%–9wt%, respectively; these values indicate that the pellets are suitable for cold handling. The developed micropellets have strong potential as a heat source in smelting reduction in iron making and sintering to reduce coke breeze. The micropellets produced with BFD and coke fines(8wt%–12wt%) were used in iron ore sintering and were observed to reduce the coke breeze consumption by 3%–4%. The quality of the produced sinter was at par with that of the conventional blast-furnace sinter.

Anatomy of the 2009 Fiordland earthquake(M_w 7.8),South Island,New Zealand

我们分析了 2009 年 7 月 15 日， Fiordland 地震(Mw 7.8 ) ，它发生在新西兰的南方岛的西南的部分。在南部的 Fiordland subduction 地区的这戳相关的地震是过去的 80 年里的最大的新西兰地震。我们用偏移量从地质、原子的科学(GNS 科学) 的新西兰研究所的连续测地学的网络(全球放系统) 导出的 coseismic 为这地震抑制了一个破裂模型。我们的分析断定这地震显著地在制服的板上增加了库仑压力，在特别地上近海高山的差错的部分。

In vitro larvicidal potential against Anopheles stephensi and antioxidative enzyme activities of Ginkgo biloba,Stevia rebaudiana and Parthenium hysterophorous

Objective:To investigate in vitro larvicidal and antioxidant enzymes potential of the medicinal plants Ginkgo biloba（G.biloba）,Stevia rebaudiana（S.rebaudiana） and Parthenium hysterophorous（P.hysterophorous） against Anopheles stephensi（An.stephensi） 4th instars larvae. Methods:For evaluation of larvicidal potential,the ethanolic,methanolic and dichloromethane leaves extracts of three different plants were used in dose-dependent experiments in two media, while the antioxidant enzymes activities were investigated using four different methods viz., superoxide dismutase,peroxidase,ascorbate and catalase.Results:An.stephensi has developed resistance to various synthetic insecticides,making its control increasingly difficult.The comparative performance of ethanolic extracts（65%-90%） was found better than the methanolic extract（70%-87%） and dichloromethane extract（60%-70%）.Among the three plants extracts tested in two media,S.rebaudiana exhibited higher larvicidal activity with LC50（24 h） in methanolic extract than P.hysterophorous and G.biloba.G.biloba and P.hysterophorous exhibited the strongest antioxidative enzymes activity and S.rebaudiana were less active and no significant difference was observed.Conclusions:These three plants exhibit larvicidal potential and can be further used for vector control alternative to synthetic insecticide due to eco-friendly and diseases control,furthermore these plant species have potent antioxidative enzyme activities, therefore,making them strong natural candidate particularly for diseases which are caused due to free radicals.

Detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology of stromatolitic carbonates from the greenstone belts of Dharwar Craton and Cuddapah basin of Peninsular India

Oldest rocks are sparsely distributed within the Dharwar Craton and little is known about their involvement in the sedimentary sequences which are present in the Archean greenstone successions and the Proterozoic Cuddapah basin.Stromatolitic carbonates are well preserved in the Neoarchean greenstone belts of Dharwar Craton and Cuddapah Basin of Peninsular India displaying varied morphological and geochemical characteristics.In this study,we report results from U-Pb geochronology and trace element composition of the detrital zircons from stromatolitic carbonates present within the Dharwar Craton and Cuddapah basin to understand the provenance and time of accretion and deposition.The UPb ages of the detrital zircons from the Bhimasamudra and Marikanve stromatolites of the Chitradurga greenstone belt of Dharwar Craton display ages of 3426±26 Ma to 2650±38 Ma whereas the Sandur stromatolites gave an age of 3508±29 Ma to 2926±36 Ma suggesting Paleo-to Neoarchean provenance.The U-Pb detrital zircons of the Tadpatri stromatolites gave an age of 2761±31 Ma to1672±38 Ma suggesting Neoarchean to Mesoproterozoic provenance.The Rare Earth Element(REE)patterns of the studied detrital zircons from Archean Dharwar Craton and Proterozoic Cuddapah basin display depletion in light rare earth elements(LREE)and enrichment in heavy rare earth elements(HREE)with pronounced positive Ce and negative Eu anomalies,typical of magmatic zircons.The trace element composition and their relationship collectively indicate a mixed granitoid and mafic source for both the Dharwar and Cuddapah stromatolites.The 3508±29 Ma age of the detrital zircons support the existence of 3.5 Ga crust in the Western Dharwar Craton.The overall detrital zircon ages(3.5-2.7 Ga)obtained from the stromatolitic carbonates of Archean greenstone belts and Proterozoic Cuddapah basin(2.7-1.6 Ga)collectively reflect on^800-900 Ma duration for the Precambrian stromatolite deposition in the Dharwar Craton.

Atmospheric pressure gliding arc discharge plasma treatments for improving germination, growth and yield of wheat

Wheat(Triticum aestivum) seeds were treated with atmospheric pressure gliding arc discharge plasmas to investigate the effects on water absorption, seed germination rate, seedling growth and yield in wheat. The surface architectures and functionalities of the seeds were found to modify due to plasma treatments. 6 min treatment was provided 95%–100% germination rate.For the treatment duration of 3 and 9 min the growth activity, dry matter accumulation, leaves chlorophyll contents, longest spikes, number of spikes/spikelet and total soluble protein content in shoots were improved. The grain yield of wheat was increased ～20% by 6 min treatment with H_2O/O_2 plasma with respect to control.