Carrying and using weapons: A survey of minority junior high school students in New York City.

To explore weapon carrying among young, inner-city adolescents, a survey was administered in fall 1993 to 2005 predominately Hispanic students (mean age = 12.8 years) in three New York City junior high schools. The survey revealed that 21% of students reported personally carrying a weapon; guns and knives were the weapons most commonly carried.

Unusual antimicrobial compounds from Aeollanthus buchnerianus.

Using bioassay guided isolation, three novel 12 carbon polyoxygenated fatty acids and a novel abietane diterpene have been isolated from the chloroform extract of aerial parts of Aeollanthus buchnerianus (Lamiaceae). Rigorous spectroscopic methods were used for compound identification. (Z,Z)-8zeta-acetoxy-5zeta-hydroxydodeca-2,6-dienoic acid and (Z,Z)-5zeta, 8zeta-dihydroxydodeca-2,6-dienoic acid inhibited the spore germination of Cladosporium cucumerinum (both with Minimum Inhibitory Dose (MID) values of 1 microgram) and Aspergillus niger (MID 5 and 25 microgram respectively).

Antimicrobial abietane diterpenoids from Plectranthus elegans.

Two novel abietane diterpenoids have been isolated from the aerial material of Plectranthus elegans and identified as 11-hydroxy-12-oxo-7,9(11),13-abietatriene and 7 alpha,11-dihydroxy-12-methoxy-8,11,13-abietatriene. Their structures were determined through rigorous use of spectroscopic methods. Both inhibited spore germination of the fungus Cladosporium cucumerinum, in direct bioautography, at a dose of 1 microgram.

Potent antimalarial activity of the alkaloid nitidine, isolated from a Kenyan herbal remedy.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of extracts of Toddalia asiatica, a plant used by the Pokot tribe of Kenya to treat fevers, has yielded the alkaloid nitidine as the major antimalarial component. Fractions containing nitidine have in vitro 50% inhibitory concentrations against Plasmodium falciparum in the range of 9 to 108 ng/ml for a range of chloroquine-susceptible and -resistant strains. The results show a lack of cross-resistance between chloroquine and nitidine.

Methylated C-glycosylflavones as taxonomic markers in orchids of the subtribe Ornithocephalinae.

In a leaf flavonoid survey of 15 Brazilian orchid species from the subtribe Ornithocephalinae, flavone C-glycosides were found to be the major constituents in all except two Ornithocephalus taxa. In Zygostates cornuta a rare glycoside, apigenin 7,4'-dimethyl ether 6-C-glucoside-2"-O-rhamnoside, was identified. This also occurred in Z.

Antimicrobial sesquiterpenes from Prostanthera aff. melissifolia and P. rotundifolia.

Aerial material of Prostanthera aff. melissifolia and P. rotundifolia yielded three sesquiterpenes, two known compounds and a novel sesquiterpene, prostantherol.

Anti-inflammatory activity of Polygonum bistorta, Guaiacum officinale and Hamamelis virginiana in rats.

The aqueous ethanolic extracts of Polygonum bistorta L. Polygonaceae, Guaiacum officinale L. Zygophyllaceae and Hamamelis virginiana L.

The muscle relaxant properties of Portulaca oleracea are associated with high concentrations of potassium ions.

The juice and aqueous extracts from the plant Portulaca oleracea have been used in West Africa for a variety of medical purposes, and extracts were previously shown to have muscle relaxant properties on isolated nerve-muscle preparations. We have attempted to characterise the components responsible for this activity. Ethanolic extracts caused an initial augmentation of twitch height in chick biventer cervicis preparations and then blockade which appeared to be mediated by an action directly on muscle fibres rather than on neuromuscular transmission.

Anti-inflammatory activity of resins from some species of the plant family Burseraceae.

The anti-inflammatory activities of extracts from the resins of four species of the plant family Burseraceae, Boswellia dalzielli, Boswellia carteri (gum olibanum), Commiphora mukul, and Commiphora incisa, were studied. The aqueous extracts of the resins of B. dalzielli, C.

A new antibacterial sesquiterpene from Premna oligotricha.

A novel sesquiterpene, 7 alpha-hydroxy-6, 11-cyclofarnes-3(15)-en-2-one [1], has been isolated from the aerial parts of Premna oligotricha (Verbenaceae) using an antimicrobial bioassay-guided isolation procedure. The sesquiterpene was identified on the basis of spectroscopic data and showed weak activity against Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus faecalis.

Coumarins from Phebalium tuberculosum ssp. megaphyllum and Phebalium filifolium.

A total of 14 coumarins have been isolated from the aerial parts of Phebalium tuberculosum ssp. megaphyllum and 9 from Phebalium filifolium (Rutaceae). Three of the coumarins obtained from P.

Roles for secondary metabolites in plants.

More than about 20,000 secondary metabolites have now been identified and their isolation and characterization continues at an undiminishing rate. Although the production of most secondary metabolites is under genetic control, in relatively few cases have convincing arguments been put forward to rationalize their occurrence in terms of primary metabolic functions. Whatever the initial reason for their evolution, secondary metabolites are now an essential part of the armamentaria used by plants in the battle to survive and propagate, to the extent where the expenditure of energy, photosynthate and nutrients for their production can be demonstrated to be 'cost effective' for that.

Dietary and foraging strategies of baboons.

As large-bodied savannah primates, baboons have long been of special interest to students of human evolution: many different populations have been studied and dietary comparisons among them are becoming possible. Baboons' foraging strategies can be shown to combine high degrees of flexibility and breadth with selectivity. In this paper we develop and test multivariate models of the basis of diet selection for populations of montane and savannah baboons.

A novel antibacterial diterpene from Premna schimperi.

A novel diterpene, (5R, 8R, 9S, 10R)-12-oxo-ent-3,13(16)-clerodien-15-oic acid, has been obtained from the leaves of Premna schimperi (Verbenaceae) using an anti-microbial bioassay-guided isolation procedure. The diterpene was identified on the basis of spectroscopic data and is active against the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis in the concentration range 20-25 micrograms ml-1.

Antifertility principle of Ruta graveolens.

Chloroform extracts of the root, stem and leaf of Ruta graveolens L. showed significant anti-fertility activity in rats when administered intragastrically on days 1-10 post-coitum. Fractionation of the extracts led to the isolation of chalepensin as the active component with some toxicity.

Ecological tannin assays: a critique.

The concept of protein precipitation potential has recently been introduced by Wisdom et al. (1987) as a means to combine chemical and protein precipitation assays of tannins for ecological studies. The definition of protein precipitation potential was not theoretically rigorous, and data analysis was obscure.

[Chemical studies on Aristolochia mollissima V].

Two new phenanthrene compounds, 9-ethoxyaristololactam and 9-ethoxy-aristolactone, were isolated from the root of Aristolochia mollissima. Their structures were identified by means of spectral analysis.

Rapid-sequence induction technique in patients with severe ventricular dysfunction.

The hemodynamic effects of a rapid-sequence induction and intubation technique using etomidate, fentanyl, and succinylcholine for emergency surgery in patients with severe ventricular dysfunction were studied. Ten patients undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation received fentanyl, 10 microg/kg, etomidate, 0.3 mg/kg, and succinylcholine, 1.

The extraction, isolation and identification of the purgative component of Croton penduliflorus seed oil.

The purgative principles in Croton penduliflorus seed oil were isolated as white crystals by a bioassay-guided chromatographic separation process. The crystals were recovered in 7% w/w yield and identified (IR, 1H-NMR, GC-MS) as a mixture of palmitic, stearic and arachidic acids in approximately equimolar concentration.

Light-induced variation in phenolic levels in foliage of rain-forest plants : II. Potential significance to herbivores.

The allelochemic activity of the polyphenolics isolated from the leaves of four west African rain-forest plants,Acacia pennata, Cynometra leonensis, Diospyros thomasii, andTrema guineensis, was examined by means of protein precipitation experiments to estimate their specific activity as precipitants. Results indicated that light-induced phenol synthesis in the more heavily insolated foliage of a species led to greater protein-precipitating capacity in these leaves. It is considered doubtful that this produced a quantitative difference in protein availability to an herbivore as, on average, even in the most shaded leaves there was sufficient tannin present to precipitate all the foliar protein.