Prevalence of Face Mask Wearing in Northern Vermont in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: Information on the prevalence of face mask use to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 is needed to model disease spread and to assess the effectiveness of policies that encourage face mask use. We sought to (1) estimate the prevalence of face mask use in northern Vermont and (2) assess the effect of age and sex on the likelihood of face mask use.

Methods: We monitored the entrances to public businesses and visually assessed age, sex, and face mask use.

Altering the association properties of insulin by amino acid replacement.

The importance of ProB28 and LysB29 on the self-association of insulin was established by systematically truncating the C terminus of the B chain. The relationship between structure and association was further explored by making numerous amino acid replacements at B28 and B29. Association was studied by circular dichroism, size-exclusion chromatography and ultracentrifugation.

Two-dimensional NMR and photo-CIDNP studies of the insulin monomer: assignment of aromatic resonances with application to protein folding, structure, and dynamics.

The aromatic 1H NMR resonances of the insulin monomer are assigned at 500 MHz by comparative studies of chemically modified and genetically altered variants, including a mutant insulin (PheB25----Leu) associated with diabetes mellitus. The two histidines, three phenylalanines, and four tyrosines are observed to be in distinct local environments; their assignment provides sensitive markers for studies of tertiary structure, protein dynamics, and protein folding. The environments of the tyrosine residues have also been investigated by photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (photo-CIDNP) and analyzed in relation to packing constraints in the crystal structures of insulin.

High-performance liquid chromatographic preparation of single-site carrier-free pancreatic polypeptide hormone radiotracers.

The preferred radiotracer for use in radioimmuno- and receptor assays is one which is as similar as possible to the native hormone in both physicochemical and biological properties. Until recently, rapid detailed evaluation of iodination methodology as well as separation of site-specific tracers and their evaluation relative to the native protein has not been possible. Using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic methodology (C8 or C18 columns) we have evaluated a variety of iodination techniques and conditions.

Ciliary inhibitory effects of asthma patients' sputum.

1. Sputum sols, obtained from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, were applied to frogs' isolated palates and the effect on ciliary beat frequency was examined. 2.

Ciliary beat frequency in human respiratory explants.

Ciliary beat frequency was measured in 60 human bronchial explants obtained by bronchoscopic biopsy. The average rate of beating, at 37 degrees C, was 12.8 +/- 1.

19F NMR studies of the binding of 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridylate to thymidylate synthase.

In the presence of thymidylate synthase, the 19F signal of 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridylate is shifted upfield 0.6 ppm or 4.5 ppm depending on the enzyme preparation used.

31P NMR studies on the interaction of deoxyuridylate with thymidylate synthase.

The 31P nuclear magnetic resonance signal of deoxyuridylate was studied in the presence and absence of thymidlate synthase. In the absence of enzyme the chemical shift of deoxyuridylate is pH dependent with a pKa of 6.25.

Field studies on ozone inactivation of a Gymnodinium breve toxin.

Water samples were collected from Boca Ciega Bay (St. Petersburg) during the April, 1974, red tide that occurred on the Florida west coast. The causative agent of this phenomenon was the toxic dinoflagellate, Gymnodinium breve.