Book Review: Between the “Mysticism of Politics” and the “Politics of Mysticism”

David Ranson, Between the “Mysticism of Politics” and the “Politics of Mysticism”: Interpreting New Pathways of Holiness within the Roman Catholic Tradition. Adelaide, SA: ATF Theology, 2014

Book Review: The Modern Philosophical Revolution

David Walsh, The Modern Philosophical Revolution: The Luminosity of Existence. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008. Pp. xv+501, $29.99

Injectable Hydrogels for Local Protein Delivery to Engineer Myocardial Remodeling

The endogenous tissue remodeling events that occur following a myocardial infarction (MI) are inadequate to maintain left ventricular (LV) function, and the progression towards heart failure is often inevitable. Our increased understanding of protein regulators of post MI remodeling provides the opportunity to intervene and engineer tissue remodeling through exogenous protein delivery. The global hypothesis of this dissertation was that the local delivery of therapeutic proteins (SDF-1alpha and TIMP-3) from injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels attenuates adverse post MI remodeling processes by providing sustained concentrations of bioactive signals within the remodeling myocardium. To test this hypothesis, HA based hydrogels were designed with crosslinking chemistries to allow hydrogel formation and protein encapsulation in situ upon injection through a syringe, negatively charged polymer backbones to bind encapsulated proteins through electrostatic interactions and sustain protein release, and degradable crosslinks to release proteins in a controlled fashion. Using these injectable hydrogel systems, adverse post MI remodeling events were attenuated following experimental MI in animals by enhancing endogenous cell homing to the myocardium through SDF-1alpha delivery and inhibiting matrix metalloproteinase activity through TIMP-3 delivery. Our results demonstrate the utility of implantable biomaterials to localize and sustain biological signals to engineer tissue remodeling processes, and provide insight into novel biological therapeutics to treat LV remodeling following MI

Assessing Downstream Impacts from an Additional Consumption of Reclaimed Wastewater Effluent

Consuming reclaimed wastewater effluent is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to consuming surface water or groundwater supplies. Although locally sustainable, impacts to downstream stakeholders require consideration prior to implementation of a proposed consumption. These downstream impacts are not typically evaluated in a quantitative manner, accounting for geospatial and systematic differences. Under certain statutory environments, downstream stakeholders may have a path towards legal recourse if additional consumption is determined to impact them. More broadly, the extent of downstream impacts is important in legal and policy contexts regarding the sustainability of reclaimed water projects.In this thesis, a framework is presented to assess downstream impacts resulting from an additional consumption of reclaimed wastewater. This framework includes a scenario analysis of the region where the proposed consumption is conducted. This analysis is coupled with a pooled t-test on a transformation of streamflow data to determine the statistical significance in changes to mean streamflow. Further, potential lower streamflow is linked to impacts on downstream stakeholders through the use of stakeholder performance metrics. This framework is assessed in two distinct case studies in contrasting regions of the United States: 1) the Illinois River downstream from the greater Chicago, Illinois area, with a general abundance of water and large potential reclaimed water users, and 2) the Middle Rio Grande River downstream from Albuquerque, New Mexico, with high seasonal variability in water availability, ephemeral streamflow patterns, and prior appropriation water rights. In Illinois, impacts to barge transportation are assessed and determined to decrease with distance downstream of the proposed effluent consumption. In the Rio Grande, impacts to the Rio Grande silvery minnow are considered and determined to worsen with distance downstream of consumption, such that a proposed consumption would be unlikely to be established under federal regulations

Homeownership & home values among Black neighborhoods in Marion County (2018)

Trends in Marion County show there are racial gaps in homeownership rate and home values. Black homeowners have a lower homeownership rate and houses in majority-black neighborhoods are undervalued compared to homes in other parts of Marion County.A 2018 report from the Brookings Institute found that homes in majority-black neighborhoods in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson metro area were valued at $18,000 less than those in similar—yet not predominately black—neighborhoods. This follows a national trend in which homes in black neighborhoods were undervalued by$48,000 on average. In fact, in 117 of the 119 metro areas included in the Brookings report, a home in a majority-black neighborhood was valued less than those in other neighborhoods. These areas also are more likely to be more segregated and provide fewer upward mobility opportunities for black residents. This brief examines trends in black homeownership specifically for Marion County

Ischemia Induces P-Selectin-Mediated Selective Progenitor Cell Engraftment in the Isolated-Perfused Heart

Clinical trials infusing Bone Marrow Cells (BMCs) into injured hearts have produced measureable improvements in cardiac performance, but were insufficient to improve patient outcomes. Low engraftment rates are cited as probable contributor to limited improvements. To understand the mechanisms that control myocardial engraftment of BMCs following ischemia-reperfusion injury, in isolated–perfused mouse hearts, stop-flow ischemia was followed by variable-duration reperfusion (0–60 min) before addition of labeled syngenic BMCs to the perfusate. After a buffer-only wash, the heart was disaggregated. Retained BMCs (digest) and infused BMCs (aliquot) were compared by flow cytometry for c-kit and CD45 expression to determine the proportion of cell subtypes engrafted versus delivered (selectivity ratio). In these studies, a time-dependent selective retention of c-kit+ cells was apparent starting at 30 min of reperfusion, at which time c-kit+/CD45+ BMCs showed a selectivity ratio of 18 ± 2 (versus 2 ± 1 in sham-ischemic controls). To study the underlying mechanism for this selective retention, neutralizing antibodies for P-selectin or L-selectin were infused into the heart preparation and incubated with BMCs prior to BMC infusion. Blocking P-selectin in ischemic hearts ablated selectivity for c-kit+/CD45+ BMCs at 30 min reperfusion (selectivity ratio of 3 ± 1) while selectivity persisted in the presence of L-selectin neutralization (selectivity ratio of 17 ± 2). To corroborate this finding, a parallel plate flow chamber was used to study capture and rolling dynamics of purified c-kit+ versus c-kit- BMCs on various selectin molecules. C-kit+ BMCs interacted weakly with L-selectin substrates (0.03 ± 0.01% adhered) but adhered strongly to P-selectin (0.28 ± 0.04% adhered). C-kit- BMCs showed intermediate binding regardless of substrate (0.18 ± 0.04% adhered on L-selectin versus 0.17 ± 0.04% adhered on P-selectin). Myocardial ischemia–reperfusion stress induces selective engraftment of c-kit+ bone marrow progenitor cells via P-selectin activation

Suppression subtractive hybridization method for the identification of a new strain of murine hepatitis virus from xenografted SCID mice

During attempts to clone retroviral determinants associated with a mouse model of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was used to identify unique viruses in the liver of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice transplanted with LCH tissues. A partial genomic sequence of a murine coronavirus was identified, and the whole genome (31428 bp) of the coronavirus was subsequently sequenced using PCR cloning techniques. Nucleotide sequence comparisons revealed that the genome sequence of the new virus was 91-93 % identical to those of known murine hepatitis viruses (MHVs). The predicted open reading frame from the nucleotide sequence encoded all known proteins of MHVs. Analysis at the protein level showed that the virus was closely related to the highly virulent MHV-JHM strain. The virus strain was named MHV-MI. No type D retroviruses were found. Degenerate PCR targeting of type D retrovirus and 5'-RACE targeting of other types of retroviruses confirmed the absence of any retroviral association with the LCH xenografted SCID mice. © 2015, The Author(s)

Homelessness in Indianapolis: 2020 Marion County Point-in-Time Count

In partnership with Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention (CHIP) and other local organizations, CRISP helped to coordinate and conduct the annual PIT count in Marion County. The report documents the number of individuals experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2020. The report also highlights key findings and takeaways in order to inform policymaking and service provision for individuals experiencing homelessness

Linking Reclaimed Water Consumption with Quantitative Downstream Flow Impacts

Although reclaimed water&mdash;municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent&mdash;can serve as a locally sustainable alternative water resource, this additional consumptive use of reclaimed water may cause impacts downstream. This paper seeks to quantitatively assess these impacts by employing scenario analysis coupled with a two-sample t-test to evaluate the statistical significance of streamflow alteration. Further, the potential for lower volumes of streamflow is linked to impacts on downstream stakeholders through the use of stakeholder performance metrics. To demonstrate the applicability of this approach, two diverse regions are evaluated: (1) the Illinois River downstream from the greater Chicago, Illinois, area, and (2) the Middle Rio Grande River downstream from Albuquerque, New Mexico. In Illinois, impacts to barge transportation are marginal and decrease with distance downstream of effluent consumption. In the Rio Grande, impacts to the Rio Grande silvery minnow worsen downstream such that a proposed consumption would be unlikely to be established under federal regulations. The extent of downstream impacts is important in legal and policy contexts regarding the sustainability of reclaimed water projects.</p

Township Assistance in Marion County: An analysis of assistance distribution

Township government is one of the oldest forms of local government in Indiana and dates back to the 1800s. Township trustee offices in Indiana provide emergency assistance to residents who experience unexpected challenges. The services—formerly known as “poor relief”—are designed to be a last resort to receive help compared to sustaining assistance that other government programs may provide. Each Indiana township follows general guidelines dictated by the state and can tailor these guidelines to fit their specific residents and circumstances. Although there are some variations in the types of assistance each Marion County township provides, they all must report the distribution of funds. The report will include an analysis of trends in Marion County, including the scope of township assistance, its utilization, and potential disparities