Role of plants in anticancer drug discovery

Cancer is one of the major causes of death and the number of new cases, as well as the number of individuals living with cancer, is expanding continuously. Worldwide the alarming rise in mortality rate due to cancer has fuelled the pursuit for effective anticancer agents to combat this disease. Finding novel and efficient compounds of natural origin has been a major point of concern for research in the pharmaceutical sciences. Plants have been seen to possess the potential to be excellent lead structures and to serve as a basis of promising therapeutic agents for cancer treatment. Many successful anti-cancer drugs currently in use or their analogues are plant derived and many more are under clinical trials. This review aims to highlight the invaluable role that plants have played, and continue to play, in the discovery of anticancer agents.We acknowledge the University of Pretoria for Postdoctoral fellowship to J.K. and B.A.M.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/phytolhb2017ChemistryGenetic

Conceptual framework of the study based on the socio-ecological model for physical activity [6].

This modified socio-ecological model introduces subjectively-perceived environmental factors on different levels that can both hinder or facilitate an individual’s physical activity in the neighbourhood.</p

Procedure in study phase 1.

BackgroundYouth’s perceptions of a city or neighbourhood’s walkability are important for determining the physical activity (PA) friendliness of their environment. Traditional objective measures of walkability fail to incorporate children and youth’s (CY) subjective perceptions of places that they perceive as supportive for play and exercise. Internationally, the most promising subjective measure is the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale for Youth (NEWS-Y) questionnaire. Yet, the NEWS-Y is not available for German-speaking adolescents. In the WALKI-MUC project, a combination of participatory research methods is used to identify CY’s perceptions of PA-friendly places in Munich, Germany. Based on the findings, a German version of the NEWS-Y (NEWS-Y-G) for subjective walkability measurement is developed.Methods and designCY aged six to 17 years from neighbourhoods with different objectively-measured walkability, take part in photovoice, walking interviews and mapping to gather their perceptions of PA-friendly places. The participatory study begins with an introductory workshop and concludes with a follow-up workshop, where characteristics of PA-friendly places are discussed in focus groups. In between these workshops, participants complete a photo mission with a walking interview, allowing for individual significance of PA-related places to be shared in a one-on-one setting with the researcher. The findings are used to adapt and translate the NEWS-Y for the German context. The newly developed NEWS-Y-G is then used to measure the subjective walkability perceived by a representative sample of adolescents in Munich.DiscussionThe WALKI-MUC project introduces a participatory methodology for researchers and urban planners to assess subjective walkability with CY. The combination of qualitative and quantitative walkability measurements is described in this study protocol. Findings on PA-friendly places contribute to environmental psychology and the development of the NEWS-Y-G adds a German-language instrument for subjective walkability measurement.</div

ACOs And Antitrust Enforcement: Familiar Rules Raise New Concerns

In particular, market-share based safety zones and mandatory review requirements place a premium on sound up-front antitrust analysis. Jane Willis, Mark Popofsky, & Daniel Bachner (Ropes & Gray)

The WALKI-MUC project.

Based on the qualitative results from the first study phase, the NEWS-Y-G for quantitative measurement of subjectively-perceived walkability is developed, validated and applied in the second study phase.</p