The Ethnomedicine of the Haya people of Bugabo ward, Kagera Region, north western Tanzania

\ud The Kagera region, in north western Tanzania, is endowed with a strong culture of traditional medicine that is well supported by a rich diversity of medicinal plants. However, most of the plants in this region have not been documented nor evaluated for safety and efficacy. As an initiative in that direction, this study documented the knowledge on medicinal plant use by traditional healers of Bugabo Ward in Bukoba District. Key informants were selected with the help of local government officials and information on their knowledge and use of plants for therapeutic purposes was gathered using a semi-structured interview format. In this study 94 plant species representing 84 genera and 43 families were found to be commonly used in the treatment of a variety of human ailments. The family Asteraceae had the highest number of species being used as traditional medicines. The study revealed that Malaria is treated using the highest number of different medicinal species (30), followed by skin conditions (19), maternal illnesses and sexually transmitted diseases (14), respiratory diseases (11) and yellow fever, Herpes simplex and peptic ulcers (10). Majority of the species are used to treat less than five different diseases/conditions each and leaves were the most commonly used part, comprising 40% of all the reports on use of plant parts. Trees comprised the most dominant growth form among all plants used for medicinal purposes in the study area. Bugabo Ward has a rich repository of medicinal plants and this reinforces the need for an extensive and comprehensive documentation of medicinal plants in the area and a concomitant evaluation of their biological activity as a basis for developing future medicines.\u

Thermal diode based on a multilayer structure of phase change materials

Thermal diodes are devices that allow heat to flow preferentially in one direction. This unique thermal management capability has attracted attention in various applications, like electronics, sensors, energy conversion or space applications, among others. Despite their interest, the development of efficient thermal diodes remains still a challenge. In this paper, we report a scalable and adjustable thermal diode based on a multilayer structure that consists of a combination of phase change and phase invariant materials. We applied a parametric sweep in order to find the optimum conditions to maximize the thermal rectification ratio. Our simulations predicted a maximum thermal rectification ratio of ~20%. To evaluate the impact of these devices in real applications, we theoretically analysed the performance of a magnetocaloric refrigerating device that integrates this thermal diode. The results showed a 0.18 K temperature span between the heat source and the heat sink at an operating frequency of 25 Hz

Anti-ganglioside antibodies-mediated leptospiral meningomyeloencephalopolyneuritis

A case of leptospirosis complicated with meningo-myelo-encephalo-polyneuritis and nephrotic syndrome is presented. Anti-ganglioside antibodies were detected for the first time in a patient with neurological complications of leptospirosis. Possible pathogenic mechanisms and treatment options of these rare manifestations are discussed

Fluidic and mechanical thermal control devices

In recent years, intensive studies on thermal control devices have been conducted for the thermal management of electronics and computers as well as for applications in energy conversion, chemistry, sensors, buildings, and outer space. Conventional cooling or heating techniques realized using traditional thermal resistors and capacitors cannot meet the thermal requirements of advanced systems. Therefore, new thermal control devices are being investigated to satisfy these requirements. These devices include thermal diodes, thermal switches, thermal regulators, and thermal transistors, all of which manage heat in a manner analogous to how electronic devices and circuits control electricity. To design or apply these novel devices as well as thermal control principles, this paper presents a systematic and comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art of fluidic and mechanical thermal control devices that have already been implemented in various applications for different size scales and temperature ranges. Operation principles, working parameters, and limitations are discussed and the most important features for a particular device are identified