The Role of chemokine receptor CXCR4 in breast cancer metastasis

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths worldwide. Breast cancer-related mortality is associated with the development of metastatic potential of primary tumor lesions. The chemokine receptor CXCR4 has been found to be a prognostic marker in various types of cancer, including breast cancer. Recent advances in the field of cancer biology has pointed to the critical role that CXCR4 receptor and its ligand CXCL12 play in the metastasis of various types of cancer, including breast cancer. Breast tumors preferentially metastasize to the lung, bones and lymph nodes, all of which represent organs that secrete high levels of CXCL12. CXCL12 acts as a chemoattractant that drives CXCR4-positive primary tumor cells towards secondary metastatic sites leading to the onset of metastatic lesions. Since its discovery in 2001, the CXCR4 field has progressed at a very fast rate and further studies have pointed to the role of CXCR4 in dissemination of tumor cells from primary sites, transendothelial migration of tumor cells as well as the trafficking and homing of cancer stem cells. This review summarizes the information that has been obtained over the years regarding the role of CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling in breast cancer, discusses its potential application to the development of new therapeutic tools for breast cancer control, and elucidates the potential therapeutic challenges which lie ahead and the future directions that this field can take for the improvement of prognosis in breast cancer patients.     

The importance of conflict-related mortality in civilian populations

Civil conflict affects the health of individuals in many countries, and draws a substantial amount of international humanitarian aid. The most widely used indicator of the effect of conflict is the rate of civilian death during conflict. We aimed to assess mortality estimates from conflicts in Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Afghanistan by calculating the relative risk of death during and after conflict compared with that in preconflict peacetime. Katale, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, had the highest relative risk of death during conflict (11.2 [9.1-13.8] and 103.3 [94.7-112.6], for children younger than 5 years and the whole population, respectively). Our results suggest that high rates of civilian mortality are determined more by the pre-existing fragility of the affected population than the intensity of the conflict. In many instances, a high rate of civilian deaths during conflict shows that international development aid before the conflict was grossly inadequate.     

Agronomic Performance and Nutrient Accumulation Behaviour in Groundnut-Cluster Bean Cropping System as Influenced by Irrigation Water Salinity

Varied levels of salinity in irrigation water remained a serious issue to shrink agricultural productivity in Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Groundnut, being a prominent crop in this zone, suffered to quite an extent due to induced salinity. In the present study, the authors have simulated a field condition where four different saline water of EC_iw of 0.5, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 dS m^?1 were used for irrigation in groundnut (rainy/kharif)–cluster bean (summer) rotation. Both the crops were assessed by their respective growth and yield traits. A marked decrease was observed in seedling emergence, plant height, root length and pod yield at highest salinity, EC_iw 6.0 dS m^?1 whereas the same trend was noticed for plant height, dry weight of plant and final plant stand for cluster bean in the next season. However, pod yield of both the crops did not decrease up to EC_iw 2.0 dS m^?1. The ionic imbalance in different plant parts is another major impact of salinity. Na showed enhanced accumulation in plant parts where groundnut roots accumulated 42.0 and 75.4 % higher than shoots and kernels, respectively at highest EC_iw; while other nutrients (N, P, Ca, K) showed a declining effect with increasing salinity.     

Coming together to document mortality in conflict situations: proceedings of a symposium

The use of epidemiology in documenting the mortality experience in complex emergencies has become pervasive in humanitarian practice. Recent assessments in Iraq and Darfur have provoked much discussion on the assessment of mortality in scientific and policy spheres. In this context, the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative held an inter-disciplinary symposium to examine the topic among epidemiologists, demographers, forensic scientists and legal and human rights investigators.     

Dengue fever: new paradigms for a changing epidemiology

Dengue is the most important arthropod-borne viral disease of public health significance. Compared with nine reporting countries in the 1950s, today the geographic distribution includes more than 100 countries worldwide. Many of these had not reported dengue for 20 or more years and several have no known history of the disease. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 2.5 billion people are at risk of dengue infection. First recognised in the 1950s, it has become a leading cause of child mortality in several Asian and South American countries.     

Impact of Recurrent Floods on the Utilization of Maternal and Newborn Healthcare in Bangladesh

Maternal and Child Health Journal - Floods are one of the most common types of disasters in Bangladesh and lead to direct and indirect impacts on health. The aim of the study was to assess the...