Master of Science

thesisSerum creatinine concentrations and estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) are widely used for the evaluation of renal function. The Jaffe and enzymatic methods are the most common methods for creatinine measurement. The Jaffe method is commonly less expensive than enzymatic methods but may be more susceptible to interferences. Significant savings could be obtained if populations could be identified where the interference rate of the Jaffe method is acceptably low. The study objective was to compare creatinine and corresponding eGFR results from representative Jaffe and enzymatic creatinine methods in an outpatient population and determine the prevalence and magnitude of differences. This study analyzed 543 unique, randomly selected, outpatient samples. Samples were analyzed using both the Jaffe and enzymatic creatinine methods using an Abbott Architect c8000. eGFRs were calculated using the CKD-EPI and MDRD equations. Orthogonal (Deming) regression showed no significant difference between the two assays. The slope was 1.006 (95% CI: 0.998, 1.103) and the intercept was -0.005 (95% CI: -0.015, 0.006). The average difference (bias) was -0.007 mg/dL. The Bland- Altman limits of agreement (LOA) for the creatinine differences were -0.139 and 0.136 mg/dL. Of the CKD-EPI eGFR discrepancies, 3.1% resulted in a reclassification at the 60 mL/min/1.73m2 decision limit. The difference between the predicted and actual CKDEPI discordance at the 60 mL/min/1.73m2 decision limit was not statistically significant (χ! ! = -0.13, p=0.89). Of the MDRD eGFR discrepancies, 4.8% resulted in a iv reclassification at the 60 mL/min/1.73m2 decision limit. The difference between the predicted and actual MDRD discordance at the 60 mL/min/1.73m2 decision limit was not statistically significant (χ! ! = 0.31, p=0.76). Discrepancies in the CKD-EPI and MDRD eGFRs based on the Jaffe method did not result in a statistically significant increase in disease reclassifications at the 60 mL/min/1.73m2 decision limit in an outpatient population. The number of discordant eGFR results slightly varied by what discordance criteria was used. An equal number of discordances were observed with the MDRD and CKD-EPI equations when eGFR were based upon measurement error (217 of 543). When discordance criteria was based upon observed differences (Bland-Altman), the MDRD equation showed slightly more discordances (26 of 543) compared to the CKD-EPI (21 of 543). Studies are needed to characterize the relative rate of interference in additional populations

Akirin-Mediated Gene Regulation During Cardiac Development

The highly conserved nuclear protein Akirin was previously identified as a cofactor that modulates Twist transcription factor activity during muscle development in Drosophila melanogaster. Akirin mediates an interaction between the Twist transcription factor and the multisubunit Brahma SWI/SNF-class chromatin remodeling complex at control elements of the Dmef2 locus to maintain optimal myogenic gene expression levels. Therefore, Akirin represents a class of novel secondary cofactors that work with transcription machinery to link transcription factor output with chromatin remodeling machinery to facilitate gene expression. Previous work establishes that Twist and Akirin also interact at Twist-responsive control elements of the tinman gene, which regulates formation and development of the insect heart. Similar to other Twist-regulated loci, Akirin appears to positively regulate tinman expression and affect development and positioning of cardiomyocytes. Together these results uncover a potential new method of regulation for the tinman locus during cardiac development

Letter, Austin Howard to Henry Davis, March 18, 1863

This handwritten letter, dated March 18, 1863, is written from Austin Howard to Henry Davis informing Davis that his son, Frederick Davis, has died from a wound received during the battle of Rebel Battery at the Confluence of the Tallahatchie and Yalobusha Rivers. Howard goes on to say that he and Frederick were friends and had made a pact to write family should one of them perish.https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/fvw-manuscripts-original-manuscripts/1161/thumbnail.jp

Housing and community development in East Kentucky.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Thesis. 1968. B.Arch.Accompanying drawings held by MIT Museum.Part of illustrations are accompanied by transparent guard sheets.Bibliography: leaves 26-27.B.Arch

Empreendedorismo social e comercial: iguais, diferentes ou ambos?

O empreendedorismo tem sido o motor que vem impelindo uma boa parcela do crescimento do setor dos negócios, além de ser a força motriz responsável pela rápida expansão desse setor. Neste artigo, oferece-se uma análise comparativa do empreendedorismo comercial e do social, valendo-se de um modelo analítico pre-valecente, proveniente da área de empreendedorismo comercial. Na análise, destacam-se as principais similaridades e diferenças entre essas duas formas de empreendedorismo e apresenta-se um arcabouço para uma abordagem mais sistemática e eficaz do processo empreendedor. Exploram-se as implicações dessa análise de empreendedorismo social tanto para seus praticantes como para seus pesquisadores.O emprendedurismo ha sido el motor que viene impeliendo una buena cuota del crecimiento del sector de negocios, además de ser la fuerza motriz responsable por la rápida expansión de este sector. Este artículo ofrece un análisis comparativo del emprendedurismo comercial y del social, valiéndose de un modelo analítico prevaleciente, proveniente del área del emprendedurismo comercial. El análisis destaca las principales semajanzas y diferencias entre esas dos formas de emprendedurismo y presenta un marco para un abordaje más sistemático y eficaz del proceso emprendedor. Exploramos las implicaciones de este análisis de emprendedurismo social tanto para sus practicantes como para sus investigadores.Entrepreneurship has been the engine propelling much of the growth of the business sector as well as a driving force behind the rapid expansion of the social sector. This article offers a comparative analysis of commercial and social entrepreneurship using a prevailing analytical model from commercial entrepreneurship. The analysis highlights key similarities and differences between these two forms of entrepreneurship and presents a framework on how to approach the social entrepreneurial process more systematically and effectively. We explore the implications of this analysis of social entrepreneurship for both practitioners and researchers

Upgrade of a Raman Spectrometer with Modern Computer Control and Data Acquisition for Studies of Hydrogen Bonding in Pyrimidine

The restoration of a Cold War era high resolution Raman spectrometer to working order as well as its control and data acquisition upgrade using a Labview program authored for this purpose are discussed. The restored Raman spectrometer was used in an investigation of intermolecular interactions involving pyrimidine. Following in this manuscript are three chapters. The first chapter is a brief description of the history and theory of Raman spectroscopy as well as some details of the instrumentation used in Raman spectroscopy. The second chapter contains technical details of the restoration and upgrade of the high resolution Raman spectrometer. The third chapter contains data and analysis for the investigation of intermolecular interactions involving pyrimidine, including the investigation of weak hydrogen bonds by Raman spectroscopy of liquid and crystalline pyrimidine at varying pressures up to 30000 psi and strong hydrogen bonds in binary mixtures of pyrimidine and seven different molecules. The position of the ν1 peak in the Raman spectrum corresponding to pyrimidine’s ring-breathing mode was used as the marker to monitor the degree of hydrogen bonding and species involved. For mixtures of water, other peaks in the Raman spectrum were found to shift as well when the concentration of water is increased

CHARACTERIZING AND MAPPING THE FIELD SCALE SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF SURFACE HORIZON SOIL PROPERTIES AND WATER CONTENT WITH NONINVASIVE EM38

The spatial variability of physical soil properties at the field scale is increasingly important in agriculture and natural resource management. Changes in topography, parent material, management practices, erosion/deposition rates, etc. can influence the variability of the soil’s physical properties and help guide management and land use plans. The Geonics EM38 is a noninvasive geophysical sensor which is used to measure the apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) of the soil through electromagnetic induction – primarily influenced by clay content, soil moisture content, and salinity. Soil moisture has been found to be a significant contributor to ECa and is therefore useful in determining both spatial and temporal variation in available soil water content across a landscape. This study conducted at the Lake Wheeler Research Facility in Raleigh, North Carolina examined the ability of EM38 to quantify and map the topographic relationship and variability of soil moisture content of the soil surface (0 -.15m). Soil cores were collected at 14 locations and used to determine soil particle size, bulk density, and available water content. Multiple EM38 surveys were conducted along transects of a rain-fed agricultural field and used to calibrate readings with volumetric water content. Data and maps developed with ArcGIS software will be presented of ECa survey measurements, water retention curves, particle size analyses, and bulk densities for soil cores collected. The goal of the study was to determine how soils – and associated moisture content – vary spatially and if this variability can be detected using EM38 sensor techniques

Polyamine metabolism in compensatory renal growth

Compensatory renal growth, following renal mass extirpation, is accompanied by multiple biochemical alterations including increased nucleic acid, protein, and polyamine synthesis. The aliphatic polyamines-putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are found in most living organisms and appear to participate in many forms of augmented growth including embryonic, regenerative, hormone-induced, and neoplastic [1–3]. While the precise biochemical function of these compounds has not been defined, increased levels of polyamines and their biosynthetic enzymes occur in association with enhanced nucleic acid and protein synthesis in rapidly growing tissues [3–6]. Polyamines apparently contribute to nucleic acid accumulation by promoting biosynthesis and retarding degradation [6–8]. The decarboxylation of ornithine to putrescine is the rate-limiting step in polyamine synthesis. The catalyst, ornithine decarboxylase, is very inducible and has a short half-life in both normal and regenerating liver (10 to 11 min) [5]. Changes in enzyme activity precede or occur simultaneously with increases in RNA, DNA, and protein concentrations [3].In this study, alterations in renal polyamine synthesis were investigated in conjunction with other evidences of stimulated kidney growth following unilateral nephrectomy. These data are discussed in the context of previous observations regarding polyamine biosynthesis during enhanced renal growth