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In the present paper, a lifetime distribution named, "Ishita distribution" for modeling lifetime data from biomedical science and engineering has been proposed. Statistical properties of the distribution including its shape, moments, skewness, kurtosis, hazard rate function, mean residual life function, stochastic ordering, mean deviations, order statistics, Bonferroni and Lorenz curves, Renyi entropy measure, stress-strength reliability have been discussed. The condition under which Ishita distribution is over-dispersed, equi-dispersed, and under-dispersed are presented along with the conditions under which Akash distribution, introduced by Shanker [1], Lindley distribution, introduced by Lindley [2] and exponential distribution are over-dispersed, equi-dispersed and under-dispersed. Method of maximum likelihood estimation and method of moments have been discussed for estimating the parameter of the proposed distribution. Finally, the goodness of fit of the proposed distribution have been discussed and illustrated with two real lifetime data sets and the fit has been compared with exponential, Lindley and Akash distributions.

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Objective: To assess the predictors of neonatal mortality transported to our institution from other hospitals. Methods: In this descriptive study, neonates who were delivered outside of the hospital premises and were referred to our tertiary care teaching institute were enrolled in the study and the following information were recorded - gestational ages in completed week, place of birth, stabilization of newborn before and during transportation, and clinical parameter on hospital arrival. Management of neonatal illness was performed as per the standard protocol. Predictors of neonatal mortality were assessed. Results: Out of 245 referred neonates included in the study, 45 expired. Number of babies delivered at home and conducted by unskilled birth attendant was 46 (18.8%) and at private hospitals was 82 (33.5%). Government ambulance facility for neonatal transport was used only in 80 (32.6%). Among the expired neonate, 73.3% of the babies were delivered by unskilled birth attendants (odds ratio [OR]: 16.60, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.57-60.19, p=0.0001). Neonatal mortality was significantly less when baby referred or admitted early, i.e. <24 h age at the time of admission (p=0.02) and total duration of transport <1 h (OR: 0.01, 95% CI: 0.001-0.05, p=0.001). Conclusions: Significant predictors of neonatal mortality were birth weight <1.5 kg, gestational age <28 weeks, duration of transport > 1 h, delivery by traditional birth attendants, oxygen saturation <90%, poor perfusion (capillaryrefill time), and cyanosis at the time of admission. The most common cause of mortality was birth asphyxia, followed by sepsis and prematurity.

At an intermediate stage in the hydrolysis of magnesium adenosine 5'-phosphate (MgATP) by myosin or actomyosin, there is an exchange of oxygen between water and the P gamma group of enzyme-bound nucleotide. Starting with [P gamma-18O]ATP as substrate, the exchange is revealed in the [18O]Pi species that are ultimately released as product into the reaction medium. An analysis of the distribution of these labeled Pi species, which contain 3, 2, 1, or none of the 18O atoms originally on the P gamma of ATP, is used to probe intermediate stages of the hydrolytic mechanism. In recent years, studies of this kind by several groups have shown that more than one pathway of hydrolysis operates. The work reported here demonstrates that two of these pathways are spurious; one is a "nonexchanging MgATPase" that is present in fresh myosin preparations; the other is an induced slow exchange that develops in myosin during storage (-20 degrees C) and subsequent aging (4 degrees C). However, after correction for these artifacts, two normal pathways for actomyosin hydrolysis remain. These normal pathways differ in the mode of interaction between actin and myosin in the course of hydrolysis; one is the Lymn-Taylor pathway where oxygen exchange occurs at a stage when actin and myosin are dissociated; the other is a pathway in which actin and myosin are associated during oxygen exchange. Each of these two pathways contributes an equal amount of Pi to the product pool. Thus, on average, each myosin head uses each of these pathways half the time. The findings suggest, e.g., that during contraction, myosin can dissociate from the actin filament only during every other cycle of MgATP hydrolysis or that only half the heads, at any one time, can exchange oxygen while free of the actin filament.