Showing papers by "Jadavpur University published in 1995"

Arsenic in ground water in six districts of West bengal, India: the biggest arsenic calamity in the world. Part 2. Arsenic concentration in drinking water, hair, nails, urine, skin-scale and liver tissue (biopsy) of the affected people.

Abstract: In six districts of West Bengal arsenic has been found in ground water above the maximum permissible limit recommended by the WHO of 0.05 mg l–1. This water is used by the villagers for drinking, cooking and other household purposes. These six districts have an area of 34 000 km2 and hold a population of 30 million. Over the last five years we have surveyed only a few small areas of these six affected districts and our survey revealed that, at present, at least 800 000 people from 312 villages in 37 blocks are drinking contaminated water and more than 175 000 people are showing arsenical skin lesions that are the late stages of manifestation of arsenic toxicity. Most of the three stages of arsenic-related clinical manifestations are observed amongst the affected people. The common symptoms are conjunctivitis, melanosis, depigmentation, keratosis and hyperkeratosis; cases of gangrene and malignant neoplasms are also observed. The source of arsenic is geological. We have analysed thousands of arsenic contaminated water samples. Most of the water samples contain a mixture of arsenite and arsenate and in none of them could we detect methylarsonic or dimethylarsinic acid. We have also analysed a large number of urine, hair and nail samples, several skin-scales and some liver tissues (biopsy samples) of the people drinking the arsenic contaminated water and showing arsenical skin lesions. Flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-HGAAS) was used for the analysis of hair, nails, urine and skin-scale after decomposition by various techniques. The liver tissues were analysed by Zeeman corrected-ETAAS using a few milligrams of the biopsy samples.

An EOQ Model for Deteriorating Items with Linear Time-dependent Demand Rate and Shortages Under Inflation and Time Discounting

Abstract: An economic order quantity (EOQ) inventory model for deteriorating goods is developed with a linear, positive trend in demand allowing inventory shortages and backlogging. The effects of inflation and the time-value of money are incorporated into the model, considering two separate inflation rates: namely, the internal (company) inflation rate and the external (general economy) inflation rate. It is assumed that the goods in the inventory deteriorate over time at a constant rate θ. The inventory policy is discussed over a finite time-horizon with several reorder points. The results are discussed with a numerical example and a sensitivity analysis of the optimal solution with respect to the parameters of the system is carried out. Several particular cases of the model are discussed in brief.

Studies on the antiulcer activity of Moringa oleifera leaf extract on gastric ulcer models in rats

Abstract: The methanol fraction of M. oleifera leaf extract was found to possess significant protective actions in acetylsalicylic acid, serotonin and indomethacin induced gastric lesions in experimental rats. A significant enhancement of the healing process in acetic acid—induced chronic gastric lesions was also observed with the extract-treated animals.

Reaction Textures in a Suite of Spinel Granulites from the Eastern Ghats Belt, India: Evidence for Polymetamorphism, a Partial Petrogenetic Grid in the System KFMASH and the Roles of ZnO and Fe2O3

Abstract: Spinel granulites, with or without sapphirine, occur as lenses in garnetiferous quartzofeldspathic gneisses (leptynites) near Gokavaram in the Eastern Ghats Belt, India. Spinel granulites are mineralogically heterogeneous and six mineral associations occur in closely spaced domains. These are (I) spinel-quartz-cordierite, (II) spinel-quartz-cordierite-garnet-orthopyroxene-sillimanite, (III) spinel-cordierite-orthopyroxene-sillimanite, (IV) spinel-quartz-sapphirine-sillimanite-garnet, (V) spinel-quartz-sapphirine-garnet and (IV) rhombohedral (Fe-Ti) oxide-cordierite-orthopyroxene-sillimanite. Common to all the associations are a porphyroblastic garnet (containing an internal schistosify defined by biotite, sillimanite and quartz), perthite and plagioclase. Spinel contains variable amounts of exsolved magnetite and is distinctly Zn rich in the sapphirine-absent associations. X Mg in the coexisting phases decreases in the order cordierite-biotite-sapphirine-orthopyroxene-spinel-garnet-(Fe-Ti) oxides. Textural criteria and compositional characteristics of the phases document several retrograde mineral reactions which occurred subsequent to prograde dehydration melting reactions involving biotite, sillimanite, quartz, plagioclase and spinel. The following retrograde mineral reactions are deduced: (1) spinel + quartz → cordierite, (2) spinel + quartz → garnet + sillimanite, (3) garnet + quartz → cordierite + orthopyroxene, (4) garnet + quartz + sillimanite → cordierite, (5) spinel + cordierite → orthopyroxene + sillimanite, (6) spinel + sillimanite + quartz → sapphirine, (7) spinel + sapphirine + quartz → garnet + sillimanite, and (8) spinel + quartz sapphirine + garnet. A partial petrogenetic grid for the system FeO-MgO-Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 -K 2 O-H 2 O at high fo 2 , has been constructed and the effects of ZnO and Fe 2 O 3 on this grid have been explored Combining available experimental and natural occurrence data, the high fo 2 invariant points in the partial grid have been located in P-T space. Geothermobarometric data and consideration of the deduced mineral reactions in the petrogenetic grid show that the spinel granulites evolved through an anticlockwise P-T trajectory reaching peak metamorphic conditions >9 kbar and 950 °C, followed by near-isobaric cooling (dT/dP = 150 °C/kbar). This was superimposed by an event of near-isothermal decompression (dT/dP = 15 °C/kbar). The studied spinel granulites, therefore, preserve relic prograde mineral associations and reaction textures despite being metamorphosed at very high temperatures, and bear evidence of polymetamorphism.

A multi‐stage pressure—temperature record in the Chilka Lake granulites: the epitome of the metamorphic evolution of Eastern Ghats, India?

Abstract: Metapelitic and charnockitic granulites exposed around Chilka Lake in the northern sector of the Eastern Ghats, India, preserve a multi-stage P—T record. A high-T decompression from above 10 kbar to 8 kbar around 1100°C has been determined from Mg-rich metapelites (XMg>0.60) with quartz-cordierite-orthopyroxene-sillimanite and cordierite—orthopyroxene—sapphirine—spinel assemblages. Between this and a second decompression to 6.0 kbar, isobaric cooling from 830 to 670°C at 8 kbar is evident. These changes are registered by the rim compositions of orthopyroxene and garnet in charnockites and metapelites with an orthopyroxene—quartz—garnet—plagioclase—cordierite assemblage, and are further supported by the garnet + quartz ± orthopyroxene + cordierite and biotite-producing reactions in sapphirine-bearing metapelites. Another indication of isobaric cooling from 800 to 650°C at 6.0 kbar is evident from rim compositions of orthopyroxene and garnet in patchy charnockites. Two sets of P—T values are obtained from metapelites with a quartz—plagioclase—garnet—sillimanite—cordierite assemblage: garnet and plagioclase cores yield 6.2 kbar, 700°C and the rims 5 kbar, 650°C, suggesting a third decompression. The earliest deformation (F1) structures are preserved in the larger charnockite bodies and the metapelites which retain the high P—T record. The effects of post-crystalline F2 deformation are observed in garnet megacrysts formed during or prior to F1 in some metapelites. Fold styles indicate a compressional regime during F1 and an extensional regime during F2. These lines of evidence and two phases of cooling at different pressures point to a discontinuity after the first cooling, and imply reworking. Two segments of the present P—T path replicate parts of the P—T paths suggested for four other granulite terranes in the Eastern Ghats, and the sense of all the paths is the same. This, plus the signature of three phases of deformation identified in the Eastern Ghats, suggests that the Chilka Lake granulites could epitomize the metamorphic evolution of the Eastern Ghats.

On line speciation of Se(VI), Se(IV), and trimethylselenium by HPLC-microwave oven-hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry

Abstract: An on-line system is proposed consisting of an anion-exchange chromatographic column, microwave-induced thermooxidation of trimethylselenium in the presence of persulphate, and microwave-induced thermoreduction of Se(VI) to Se(IV) in HCl medium, followed by hydride generation and atomic absorption for the determination of trimethylselenium (TMeSe), Se(IV) and Se(VI). Trimethylselenium is eluted in the dead volume of an anion-exchange column (Hamilton PRP-X-100), before elution of Se(IV) and Se(VI). Optimum chromatographic conditions have been obtained using 100 mmol L−1 phosphate buffer (pH=6.8) H2PO 4 − /HPO 4 2− as the mobile phase. Recoveries were around 100%, absolute detection limits were 1.1, 1.4 and 2.2 ng for TMeSe, Se(IV) and Se(VI), respectively. Precision was lower than 10% in all cases. The method has been applied to tap water.

Polluted insulator flashover model for ac voltage

Abstract: Considerable theoretical and experimental research on polluted insulators has yet to yield a perfect generalized mathematical model which can predict accurately critical flashover voltages and currents. In this paper an ac model has been proposed especially applicable to static arcs. The salient feature of the proposed model is that it takes into account the appropriate selection of arc constants for different chemical nature of the pollutants. The computed results closely follow the experimental curves and can predict rms value of critical flashover voltages with a mean absolute error (MAE) of >

Inhibitory effect of vanadium on rat liver carcinogenesis initiated with diethylnitrosamine and promoted by phenobarbital.

Abstract: The chemoprotective effect of vanadium, a dietary micronutrient, against chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats was investigated. Initiation was performed by a single intraperitoneal injection of diethylnitrosamine (DENA; 200 mg kg-1) followed by promotion with phenobarbital (0.05%) in the diet. Supplementary vanadium (0.5 p.p.m.) in the drinking water was provided ad libitum throughout the experiment, before the initiation or during the promotion period. At the end of the study (20 weeks), vanadium supplementation throughout the experiment reduced the incidence (P < 0.01), total number and multiplicity (P < 0.001) and altered the size distribution of visible persistent nodules (PNs) as compared with DENA control animals. Mean nodular volume (P < 0.05) and nodular volume as a percentage of liver volume (P < 0.01) were also attenuated following long-term vanadium treatment. It also caused a large decrease in the number (P < 0.001) and surface area (P < 0.01) of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT)-positive hepatocyte foci and in the labelling index (P < 0.001) of focal cells, coupled with increased (P < 0.01) remodelling. The activity of GGT, measured quantitatively, was found to be significantly less in the PNs (P < 0.001) and non-nodular surrounding parenchyma (P < 0.01) of vanadium-supplemented rats. The anticarcinogenic effect of vanadium was also reflected in the histopathological analysis of liver sections that showed a well-maintained hepatocellular architecture as compared with DENA control. Similar results were observed when vanadium was given only before the initiation. However, supplementation of vanadium during the promotion period did not result in significant alterations of these parameters. Our results, thus, strongly suggest that vanadium may have a unique anti-tumour potential which is primarily exerted on the initiation phase and only secondarily on the promotion stage.

Beta-carotene prevents lipid peroxidation and red blood cell membrane protein damage in experimental hepatocarcinogenesis

Abstract: The anti-cancer efficacy of dietary beta-carotene (BC, 120 mg/kg diet, daily) was evaluated during diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 200 mg/kg body weight)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in male Sprague-Dawley rats. BC treatment was carried out throughout the study, before initiation or selection/promotion phase of hepatocarcinogenesis in a defined experimental protocol. In red blood cells (RBC) and microsomal fractions from hepatic nodular and non-nodular surrounding parenchyma, the enzymatic lipid peroxidation increased significantly by more than 3-fold, 9- to 10-fold and 4- to 7-fold respectively 18 weeks following initiation by DEN as compared to normal control animals. RBC membrane protein damage was estimated by alanine release and was found to increase more than 5-fold in the same time period in DEN control rats. A decrease in hepatic cytosolic and microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase activities was observed, whereas the activities of the oxygen-derived free-radical scavenger enzymes, like cytosolic catalase and superoxide dismutase, were shown to increase significantly at the same time point. However, BC exposure in the different phases to hepatocarcinogenesis substantially changed all the above parameters in limiting the action of DEN. Results showed that the most significant beneficial effect of BC during hepatocarcinogenesis was exerted mainly in long term continuous and/or the initiation phase of carcinogenicity, rather than in the selection/promotion phase. Moreover, the volumetric and numerical densities of the preneoplastic lesions were all appreciably reduced by exposure to BC. We conclude that long term intake of BC could reduce cancer risk by preventing hepatic lipid peroxidation and RBC membrane protein damage due to its antioxidant actions.

In vitro and in vivo antimicrobial action of fluphenazine.

Abstract: The antipsychotic drug fluphenazine was obtained in a dry powder form and was screened with respect to 482 strains of bacteria, which included 170 Gram-positive and 326 Gram-negative strains. Nutrient agar plates containing increasing concentrations of fluphenazine (0-200 micrograms/ml) were used for the determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) which was demonstrated by inoculating a loopful of an overnight peptone water culture of the organism on nutrient agar plates and determining the MIC against a control. Fluphenazine was detected to possess pronounced action against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria at 20-100 micrograms/ml. In the in vivo studies it was seen that when fluphenazine was used at a concentration of 1.5 micrograms/g and 3 micrograms/g mouse body weight both the levels offered significant protection to Swiss strain of white mice when challenged with 50 minimum lethal dose (MLD) of a virulent strain of Salmonella typhimurium 74. The in vivo data with fluphenazine were highly significant (p < 0.001) according to the chi-square test.

Estimation of time-to-flashover characteristics of contaminated electrolytic surfaces using a neural netlwork

Abstract: A major field of neural networks (NN) application is function estimation, because the useful properties of NN such as adaptivity and nonlinearity are well suited to function estimation tasks where the equation describing the function is unknown. In this paper the prerequisite trainiing data are obtained from experimental studies performed on a flat plate model for a polluted insulator under power frequency voltage. Detailed studies have been carried to deterimine the NN parameters which give the best results. Studies have also been carried out to assess the effect of the presence of inadequate data in the training set on modeling accuracy. It is found that, when training is completed, NN is capable of estimating the function t = f(V,L,p) very efficiently and effectively even when the inadequate data are incorporateld in the training set.

Time course effects of vanadium supplement on cytosolic reduced glutathione level and glutathione S-transferase activity

Abstract: The influence of vanadium, an important dietary micronutrient, was evaluated on the cytosolic reduced glutathione (GSH) content and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity in several rat target tissues. Supplementation of drinking water with vanadium at the level of 0.2 or 0.5 ppm for 4, 8, or 12 wk was found to increase the GSH level with a concomitant elevation in GST activity in the liver followed by small intestine mucosa, large intestine mucosa, and kidney. The results were almost dose-dependent and mostly pronounced with 0.5 ppm vanadium after 12 wk of its continuous supplementation. Neither the GSH level nor GST activity was significantly altered in forestomach and lung following vanadium supplementation throughout the study. The levels of vanadium that were found to increase the content of GSH and activity of GST in the liver, intestine, and kidney did not exert any toxic manifestation as evidenced from water and food consumption as well as the growth responses of the experimental animals. Moreover, these doses of vanadium did not impair either hepatic or renal functions as they did not alter the serum activities of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), as well as serum urea and creatinine level. All these results clearly indicate that vanadium under the doses employed in our study has a significant inducing role on GSH content with a concurrent elevation in GST activity in the liver and specific extrahepatic tissues without any apparent sign of cytotoxicity. This attribute of vanadium may have a greater importance in terms of biotransformation and detoxification of xenobiotics, including carcinogens. In addition, since the ability to afford an increment in the endogenous GSH-GST pool by anticarcinogenic natural substances has been found to correlate with their activity to inhibit neoplastic transformation, the trace element vanadium may be considered as a novel anticancer agent.

Antimicrobial action of the leaf extract of moringa oleifera lam.

Abstract: The ethnolic extract of the leaves of Moringa oleifera Lam. (Fam. Moringaceae) was tested for antimicrobial activities against Gram Positive - Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis Staphylococcus aureus, Sarcina lutea: Gram negative - Escherichia coli and Acid fast Mycobacterium phlei. Significant antimicrobial activity of the extract was found in this study.

Like-sign dilepton signature for gluino production at the CERN LHC including top quark and Higgs boson effects

Abstract: A systematic analysis of the like-sign dilepton signature for gluino production at the CERN LHC is performed in the {ital R}-conserving minimal supersymmetric standard model, taking into account the top quark and Higgs boson effects in the cascade decay. We consider two representative values of the gluino mass, 300 and 800 GeV, along with those of the other SUSY parameters. While the top quark contribution is kinematically suppressed for the former case, it is very important for the latter. Ways of separating the signal from the background are discussed. One expects a viable like-sign dilepton signal up to a gluino mass of {similar_to}800 (1200) GeV at the low (high) luminosity option of the LHC over practically the full parameter space of the MSSM.

Hypoglycaemic activity of Nelumbo nucifera gaertn. (Fam. Nymphaeaceae) rhizome (methanolic extract) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract: The hypoglycaemic effect of the rhizome extract of Nelumbo nucifera was studied in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. A methanol extract of the plant obtained by soxhlet extraction from finely pulverized rhizomes was used. The LD 50 of the extract was found to be 2 g/kg. The extract (300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg, orally) caused a reduction of blood glucose levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by 53% (p<0.001) and 55% (p<0.001) respectively at the end of 12 h. The results of this study indicate that the methanol extract of the rhizome possesses favourable hypoglycaemic activity in hyperglycaemic animals taking chlorpropamide as a standard.

Factorial correlator study in 32S-Ag/Br interaction at 200A GeV.

Abstract: In this paper we present an analysis of our $^{32}\mathrm{induced}$ interaction data at 200A GeV in terms of factorial correlators. The correlated moments are found to increase with decreasing bin-bin separation, D. This increase follows a power law within the region D\ensuremath{\le}1. Bin-size independence of the factorial correlators is observed for the values of D=0.4 and D=0.8. Our data are consistent with the dimension-independent scaling relation proposed by Seixas, which gives a way out of the ``intermittent''-``nonintermittent'' ambiguity.

Inhibition of altered liver cell foci and persistent nodule growth by vanadium during diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.

Abstract: The effect of vanadium, a recently established trace element, on diethylnitrosamine (DENA)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis was examined in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were divided into four groups (Groups 1-4 ). While Group 1 served as normal group, initiation of hepatocarcinogenesis was performed in all other groups (Groups 2-4) by a single intraperitoneal injection of DENA (200 mg/kg body weight). Supplementary vanadium at the level of 0.2 and 0.5 ppm ( as ammonium monovanadate) added to the drinking water was given to Groups 3 and 4 respectively ad libitum four weeks before DENA administration and continued for 8 or 16 weeks after the carcinogenic insult. Rats were sacrificed at the 12th or 20th week after the experiment began. No significant differences were observed in food and water intakes or in growth rates among the groups. Supplementation with vanadium (in Groups 3 and 4) for 12 or 20 weeks dose-dependently reduced the incidence, total number, multiplicity and altered the size distribution of visible persistent (neoplastic) hepatocyte nodules as compared to DENA control (Group 2). Mean nodular volume and nodular volume as percentage of liver volume were also inhibited upon vanadium supplementations. The morphometric analysis of preneoplastic focal lesions observed in hematoxylin and eosin-stained liver sections revealed the occurrence of a decreased number of altered liver cell foci/ cm 2 and the average focal area, coupled with a decrement in the percentage area of liver parenchyma occupied by foci in vanadium-supplemented groups (Groups 3 and 4). All these results were found to be more pronounced at the 20th week as compared to the 12th week of the study. However, the results with 0.5 ppm vanadium at the 20th week were mostly at a statistically significant level. The findings of the study suggest that vanadium at a dose of 0.5 ppm may have a potential anticarcinogenic property against chemically induced hepatic neoplasia without any apparent sign of toxicity. This attribute could open new vistas in cancer chemotherapy.

Fault-tolerant routing in distributed loop networks

Abstract: The ring network is a popular network topology for implementation in local area networks and other configurations. But it has a disadvantage of high diameter and large communication delay. So loop networks were introduced with fixed-jump links added over the ring. In this paper, we characterize some values for the number of nodes for which the lower bound on the diameter of loop networks is achieved. We also give an O(/spl delta/) time algorithm (where /spl delta/ is the diameter of the graph) for finding a shortest path between any two nodes of a general loop network. We also propose a scheme to find a near optimal path (not more than one over the optimal) in case of a single node or link failure.

Excess-conductivity analysis of α irradiated polycrystalline Bi-2212 superconductor

Abstract: Excess conductivities of polycrystalline samples irradiated with alpha particles at various doses and of unirradiated ones have been studied from the data of resistivity versus temperature. The range of temperature chosen was from around 2Tc to Tc onset taken as Tcmf, the mean-field-transition temperature phenomenologically. The logarithmic plots of excess conductivity and reduced temperatures [(T - Tcmf] reveal two cross-over temperatures with three exponents. Except for the unirradiated sample, which shows a distinct cross-over from two-dimensional to three-dimensional conductivity, all the irradiated samples fit only with the two-dimensional Aslamazov-Larkin equation above the cross-over temperature T0. Apparently, there is an onset of critical fluctuation around T0 in the case of the irradiated samples. Interlayer-coupling strengths estimated show a decreasing trend with the increase in dose, corresponding to a decrease in carrier concentration.

In vitro antiplasmodial effects of diospyrin, a plant‐derived naphthoquinoid, and a novel series of derivatives

Abstract: Synthesis of derivatives of diospyrin, a natural product, has led to the modification of its tumour-inhibitory effect, in vitro, towards Ehrlich ascites carcinoma and antiparasitic activity against Leishmania donovani in vitro. The present study shows that two of these novel hydroquinoid analogues derived from diospyrin also show enhanced inhibitory effects against Plasmodium falciparum, in vitro, and may be a useful model for the development of novel antimalarial drugs.

Dual luminescence of dimethylaminobenzaldehyde in aqueous β-cyclodextrin: non-polar and TICT emissions

Abstract: Absorption as well as steady-state and time-resolved emission studies of p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (DMABA) in aqueous β-cyclodextrin (βCD) solutions have been reported. Dual fluorescence corresponding to the non-polar (NP) and twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) has been observed. Two types of ground state DMABA-βCD complexes are proposed. The twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) emission is severely suppressed for the complex where the fluorophore is totally encapsulated but it is enhanced due to the reduced polarity imposed by the βCD-microenvironment for the complex where DMABA is only partially enclosed.

Phase Behavior, Transport Properties, and Thermodynamics of Water/AOT/Alkanol Microemulsion Systems

Abstract: The phase diagrams of ternary systems of water/Aerosol-OT/alkanol (having carbon numbers 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10) are presented. Appreciable single-phase zones with viscous regions at higher proportions of AerosoI-OT (AOT) have been witnessed for all the alkanols. The ternary systems have also shown water-induced percolation of conductance with multistep phenomena in some cases. The viscous preparations have behaved like Bingham liquids (the viscosity has increased with the rate of shear). The enthalpy of the solubilization of water in alkanol/AOT medium has been calorimetrically determined to be positive; the free energy has been evaluated from the knowledge of maximum water intake until phase separation. The free energy and entropy of water solubilization (derived from Gibbs' equation) have been found to be positive and negative, respectively, and they follow a regular trend with the [alkanol]/[AOT] mole ratio (R) as well as with the alkanol carbon number. On the other hand, the enthalpy values, although they increased with R , increase with alkanol chainlength to a maximum for heptanol and then decrease for both octanol and decanol. It is considered that the heptanol acts as an efficient cosurfactant with AOT and helps to produce microdroplets with increased endothermicity.

Ultrametamorphism in Precambrian granulite terranes: evidence from Mg-AI granulites and calc-silicate granulites of the Eastern Ghats, India

Abstract: High Mg-Al granulites and calc-silicate granulites provide evidence for ultra-high temperatures of metamorphism (ca. 1000°C) at moderate pressures (9-10 kbar) in the Eastern Ghats Belt, India. Lack of proper geochronological data prevents the dating of this extreme metamorphism. High Mg-Al granulites contain different subsets of mineral assemblages involving spinel, quartz, sapphirine, cordierite, orthopyroxene, garnet and sillimanite coexisting with either rutile-ilmenite or titanohaematite-ferrianilmenite. These high Mg-AI rocks are poor in Zn and Cr, as reflected primarily in the composition of spinel. Evidence of ultra-high temperature metamorphism comes from (i) textural interpretation of the former coexistence of spinel-cordierite-quartz and sapphirine-quartz and stabilization of the assemblages orthopyroxene-sillimanite-cordierite and spinel-quartz-sapphirine-garnet and (ii) the high Al 2 O 3 content of orthopyroxene coexisting with garnet and/or cordierite. Consideration of the sequence of deduced mineral reactions in petrogenetic grids in the system FMAS attests to an anticlockwise P-T path of evolution for the granulites. In calc-silicate granulites stabilization of nearly pure meionite and of the wollastonite-plagioclase-andradite-rich garnet, wollastonite-scapolite-grandite garnet-calcite association corroborate high temperatures of metamorphism. Conventional mineralogical geothermobarometry in all the rocks record lower temperatures (maximum 950°C) at 9-10 kbar pressures, attributed to resetting of the mineral compositions during cooling. Following peak metamorphism, the rocks firstly experienced near-isobaric cooling followed by near-isothermal decompression. On the basis of the available evidence it appears that non-extensional lithospheric thinning and/or heat input from basic/enderbitic magma are the causes of such ultra-high temperature metamorphism on an anticlockwise path in the Eastern Ghats Belt.