Rownak Jahan

Bio: Rownak Jahan is an academic researcher from University of Development Alternative. The author has contributed to research in topics: Population & Medicine. The author has an hindex of 37, co-authored 177 publications receiving 4649 citations. Previous affiliations of Rownak Jahan include Bangladesh Agricultural University & Mymensingh Medical College.

A survey of medicinal plants used by kavirajes of chalna area, khulna district, bangladesh

Abstract: Kavirajes or traditional medicinal practitioners form the primary healthcare providers of the predominantly rural population of Bangladesh. Kavirajes use a variety of medicinal plants for treatment of different ailments. The formulations prepared from medicinal plants vary considerably between Kavirajes of different regions of the country. The objective of this study was to conduct an ethnomedicinal survey amongst the Kavirajes of Chalna area, Khulna district, Bangladesh. That area is known to contain a diversity of medicinal plants. Information on 50 plant species was obtained. These medicinal plants belonged to 49 genera and 33 families. Twenty five plants were used to treat skin diseases and twenty three plants for treatment of intestinal tract disorders, which included constipation, indigestion, stomachache, diarrhea, and dysentery. Fourteen plants were also used by the Kavirajes to treat cancer or tumor. Nine plants were used as insecticide, eight for rheumatoid arthritis, and seven for wounds. Five plants were used to treat jaundice. Five plants were also utilized to treat animal and snake bites, which included tiger bites. Six plants were used to treat diabetes, and two each for the treatment of leprosy, and sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea. Five plants were used to treat impotency, while one plant was used as an abortifacient. Three plants were used to treat helminthiasis, which we found to be quite common amongst the population, while four plants were used to treat heart disorders. Taken together, these plant species offer considerable potential for discovery of novel compounds of pharmacological interest.

Traditional use of medicinal plants in Bangladesh to treat urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases

Abstract: The rural population of Bangladesh has traditionally depended on folk medicinal healers for cure of their ailments. These healers use medicinal plants as their primary source of medicinal formulations. Rural patients are more dependent on traditional or folk medicinal healers for cure of urinary tract infections (UTI) and sexually transmitted diseases (STD) for a number of reasons including lack of access to modern medical facilities, clinging to traditional approaches, and finally hesitancy to relate this form of illnesses in front of unknown doctors. Since the traditional healer usually resides in the same village or in an adjoining area, the patient is more comfortable in seeking their treatment. We conducted an ethnomedicinal survey amongst the traditional healers of various ethnic groups and in several regions of the country to obtain information on medicinal plants used to treat UTI and STD. Interviews were conducted in the local dialect or language and information gathered as to plant and plant parts used, ailments, formulations, and dosages. Plant specimens were photographed and identified at the Bangladesh National Herbarium. A total of 32 plants distributed into 23 families were reported by the traditional healers of several districts and tribes of Bangladesh as to their being used as remedy for UTIs, including leucorrhea, frequent or infrequent urination, cloudy urination and burning sensations during urination. A total of 10 plants divided into 9 families were reported to be used against STDs like syphilis and gonorrhea.

A Comparative Analysis of Medicinal Plants Used by Folk Medicinal Healers in Three Districts of Bangladesh and Inquiry as to Mode of Selection of Medicinal Plants

Abstract: An ethnomedicinal survey conducted in two sub-districts (upazillas) each of three districts of Bangladesh revealed that there is both inter- and intra-district variation between the choices of medicinal plants selected by folk medicinal healers ( kavirajes ) to treat any specific ailment The variations cannot be accounted for by differences in climate or plant availability for most of the plants used by the kavirajes are available in all six upazillas where the survey was conducted Most kavirajes claimed that they obtained information on medicinal plants either from ‘gurus’ or from elderly members of their family However, it was also revealed by the kavirajes that further modes for acquiring medicinal plant knowledge were through initial experiments conducted on animals and poultry, dreams, and a perceived similarity between plants or plant parts and human body features It is concluded that such selections are, and were, primarily made through initial experiments by traditional healers on animals and birds Dreams and perceived similarities between plant parts and human body parts may also play an important role in such selection

A survey of medicinal plants in two areas of Dinajpur district, Bangladesh including plants which can be used as functional foods.

Abstract: Dinajpur is one of the northernmost districts of Bangladesh. The predominantly rural population of this district is served by traditional medicinal practitioners (Kavirajes), who utilize medicinal plants for treatment of various ailments. Since the medicinal plants used by the Kavirajes can vary from region to region depending on the availability of plant species and the background training of the Kavirajes, it was the objective of the present study to conduct an ethnomedicinal survey among the Kavirajes of Dinajpur district, Bangladesh to gather information on the medicinal plants used by the Kavirajes of this district. A secondary objective of the present survey was to determine which medicinal plants can also serve as functional foods and can be taken on a regular basis for general well-being as well as treatment for ailments. A number of plants were found that could serve this dual purpose. The plants included Amomum subulatum , Bixa orellana, Cajanus cajan, Carissa carandas, Cinnamomum tamala, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Coccinia grandis, Dillenia indica, Ferula asafoetida, Manilkara zapota, Mentha arvensis, Moringa oleifera, Nymphaea nouchali, Phyllanthus emblica, Spilanthes acmella, Syzygium aromaticum, Terminalia belerica, and Terminalia chebula. Functional foods can be important sources of macroand micro-nutrients and at the same time used for prevention or cure of diseases. As such, the above plants can play important roles in the maintenance of body health, particularly of the poorer sections of the population.

Resistive switching materials for information processing

Abstract: The rapid increase in information in the big-data era calls for changes to information-processing paradigms, which, in turn, demand new circuit-building blocks to overcome the decreasing cost-effectiveness of transistor scaling and the intrinsic inefficiency of using transistors in non-von Neumann computing architectures. Accordingly, resistive switching materials (RSMs) based on different physical principles have emerged for memories that could enable energy-efficient and area-efficient in-memory computing. In this Review, we survey the four physical mechanisms that lead to such resistive switching: redox reactions, phase transitions, spin-polarized tunnelling and ferroelectric polarization. We discuss how these mechanisms equip RSMs with desirable properties for representation capability, switching speed and energy, reliability and device density. These properties are the key enablers of processing-in-memory platforms, with applications ranging from neuromorphic computing and general-purpose memcomputing to cybersecurity. Finally, we examine the device requirements for such systems based on RSMs and provide suggestions to address challenges in materials engineering, device optimization, system integration and algorithm design. Resistive switching materials enable novel, in-memory information processing, which may resolve the von Neumann bottleneck. This Review focuses on how the switching mechanisms and the resultant electrical properties lead to various computing applications.

The Role and Place of Medicinal Plants in the Strategies for Disease Prevention

Abstract: Medicinal plants have been used in healthcare since time immemorial. Studies have been carried out globally to verify their efficacy and some of the findings have led to the production of plant-based medicines. The global market value of medicinal plant products exceeds $100 billion per annum. This paper discusses the role, contributions and usefulness of medicinal plants in tackling the diseases of public health importance, with particular emphasis on the current strategic approaches to disease prevention. A comparison is drawn between the ‘whole population’ and ‘high-risk’ strategies. The usefulness of the common-factor approach as a method of engaging other health promoters in propagating the ideals of medicinal plants is highlighted. The place of medicinal plants in preventing common diseases is further examined under the five core principles of the Primary Health Care (PHC) approach. Medicinal plants play vital roles in disease prevention and their promotion and use fit into all existing prevention strategies. However, conscious efforts need to be made to properly identify, recognise and position medicinal plants in the design and implementation of these strategies. These approaches present interesting and emerging perspectives in the field of medicinal plants. Recommendations are proposed for strategising the future role and place for medicinal plants in disease prevention.

Opportunities and challenges for spintronics in the microelectronics industry

Abstract: Spintronic devices exploit the spin, as well as the charge, of electrons and could bring new capabilities to the microelectronics industry However, in order for spintronic devices to meet the ever-increasing demands of the industry, innovation in terms of materials, processes and circuits are required Here, we review recent developments in spintronics that could soon have an impact on the microelectronics and information technology industry We highlight and explore four key areas: magnetic memories, magnetic sensors, radio-frequency and microwave devices, and logic and non-Boolean devices We also discuss the challenges—at both the device and the system level—that need be addressed in order to integrate spintronic materials and functionalities into mainstream microelectronic platforms This Review Article examines the potential of spintronics in four key areas of application —memories, sensors, microwave devices, and logic devices — and discusses the challenges that need be addressed in order to integrate spintronic materials and functionalities into mainstream microelectronic platforms