Taking our place in the world : a tribute to Indiana's trailblazing women

It is estimated that in the United States only five percent of all landmarks focus on women in any substantial way (Burnham 151), yet women make up fifty-one percent of the population (American FactFinder). In a country where women are said to be treated fairly and equally, this is an indisputable example that inequality exists.Demonstrating the extreme imbalance of our designed places is vital for proving that there is a need for objectivity when commemorating the citizens of our country. Historically, white males have held the power in our society, and those who hold the power are those who determine what is constructed in the built environment and who or what those constructions honor. We accept the male-made environment as a neutral canvas, not realizing how it shapes our lives and our identity (Weisman 2). But if our society is to progress toward gender equality, public spaces need to be designed for and about women; such places will help to inform people and help to eliminate prejudices and apprehension.The need for gender equity in the landscape is apparent, and women's issues that have traditionally been censored now finally have an audience in our modernized culture. However, those issues have been largely ignored by designers, so the opportunity to begin dealing with equity issues through landscape architecture exists.Indianapolis, Indiana is located in a historically conservative region of the country and is an ideal setting for the presence of women to be announced in the landscape. Such designs do not currently exist in Indianapolis. This project is the design of a park in the core of downtown Indianapolis that will pay tribute to Indiana's Trailblazing Women; women who were the firsts to break gender barriers in their respective fields. The park is a multifunctional and diverse use of space for the education and enjoyment of all people, regardless of abilities, age, race or gender. The intent is to help combat discrimination and stereotypes, and to further the cause of the women's movement in the United States.College of Architecture and PlanningThesis (B.L.A.

Creating functional habitat for an ecoregion in a Japanese-style garden

Japanese gardens are popular throughout the world and usually include plant species native to Japan, regardless of where the gardens are installed. Plants used outside of their native region can become invasive, killing local flora, costing millions of dollars in remediation, and contributing little to the local ecosystem. Incorporating native plants in landscape architecture has become more common because of environmental concerns such as increased climate change; air, soil, and water pollution; the die-off of bees and other pollinators, and lack of natural habitat due to urban sprawl. The purpose of this project is to design a Japanese-style garden in Columbus, Indiana, using only plants native to southern Indiana. The native plants used will be analogous in terms of form and habitat to over 200 of the most commonly used plants from Japanese gardens in Japan itself. A nine-acre site in Columbus was chosen for its ease of access, location near the interchange of a highway and interstate, and proximity to several Japanese-owned companies. In addition, Columbus is well-known for its many sites of architectural and landscape architectural interest. The addition of a large Japanese-style garden to the city would fit well within the history and culture of Columbus.Thesis (M.L.A.)Department of Landscape ArchitectureSite inventory & analysis -- Native plants -- Japanese gardens -- Case studies -- Garden components & design element

Creating functional habitat for an ecoregion in a Japanese-style garden

Japanese gardens are popular throughout the world and usually include plant species native to Japan, regardless of where the gardens are installed. Plants used outside of their native region can become invasive, killing local flora, costing millions of dollars in remediation, and contributing little to the local ecosystem. Incorporating native plants in landscape architecture has become more common because of environmental concerns such as increased climate change; air, soil, and water pollution; the die-off of bees and other pollinators, and lack of natural habitat due to urban sprawl. The purpose of this project is to design a Japanese-style garden in Columbus, Indiana, using only plants native to southern Indiana. The native plants used will be analogous in terms of form and habitat to over 200 of the most commonly used plants from Japanese gardens in Japan itself. A nine-acre site in Columbus was chosen for its ease of access, location near the interchange of a highway and interstate, and proximity to several Japanese-owned companies. In addition, Columbus is well-known for its many sites of architectural and landscape architectural interest. The addition of a large Japanese-style garden to the city would fit well within the history and culture of Columbus.Department of Landscape ArchitectureSite inventory & analysis -- Native plants -- Japanese gardens -- Case studies -- Garden components & design elementsThesis (M.L.A.

Taking our place in the world : a tribute to Indiana's trailblazing women

It is estimated that in the United States only five percent of all landmarks focus on women in any substantial way (Burnham 151), yet women make up fifty-one percent of the population (American FactFinder). In a country where women are said to be treated fairly and equally, this is an indisputable example that inequality exists.Demonstrating the extreme imbalance of our designed places is vital for proving that there is a need for objectivity when commemorating the citizens of our country. Historically, white males have held the power in our society, and those who hold the power are those who determine what is constructed in the built environment and who or what those constructions honor. We accept the male-made environment as a neutral canvas, not realizing how it shapes our lives and our identity (Weisman 2). But if our society is to progress toward gender equality, public spaces need to be designed for and about women; such places will help to inform people and help to eliminate prejudices and apprehension.The need for gender equity in the landscape is apparent, and women's issues that have traditionally been censored now finally have an audience in our modernized culture. However, those issues have been largely ignored by designers, so the opportunity to begin dealing with equity issues through landscape architecture exists.Indianapolis, Indiana is located in a historically conservative region of the country and is an ideal setting for the presence of women to be announced in the landscape. Such designs do not currently exist in Indianapolis. This project is the design of a park in the core of downtown Indianapolis that will pay tribute to Indiana's Trailblazing Women; women who were the firsts to break gender barriers in their respective fields. The park is a multifunctional and diverse use of space for the education and enjoyment of all people, regardless of abilities, age, race or gender. The intent is to help combat discrimination and stereotypes, and to further the cause of the women's movement in the United States.Thesis (B.L.A.)College of Architecture and Plannin

Tissue-dependent loss of phosphofructokinase-M in mice with interrupted activity of the distal promoter: impairment in insulin secretion

Phosphofructokinase is a key enzyme of glycolysis that exists as homo- and heterotetramers of three subunit isoforms: muscle, liver, and C type. Mice with a disrupting tag inserted near the distal promoter of the phosphofructokinase-M gene showed tissue-dependent differences in loss of that isoform: 99% in brain and 95-98% in islets, but only 50-75% in skeletal muscle and little if any loss in heart. This correlated with the continued presence of proximal transcripts specifically in muscle tissues. These data strongly support the proposed two-promoter system of the gene, with ubiquitous use of the distal promoter and additional use of the proximal promoter selectively in muscle. Interestingly, the mice were glucose intolerant and had somewhat elevated fasting and fed blood glucose levels; however, they did not have an abnormal insulin tolerance test, consistent with the less pronounced loss of phosphofructokinase-M in muscle. Isolated perifused islets showed about 50% decreased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and reduced amplitude and regularity of secretory oscillations. Oscillations in cytoplasmic free Ca(2+) and the rise in the ATP/ADP ratio appeared normal. Secretory oscillations still occurred in the presence of diazoxide and high KCl, indicating an oscillation mechanism not requiring dynamic Ca(2+) changes. The results suggest the importance of phosphofructokinase-M for insulin secretion, although glucokinase is the overall rate-limiting glucose sensor. Whether the Ca(2+) oscillations and residual insulin oscillations in this mouse model are due to the residual 2-5% phosphofructokinase-M or to other phosphofructokinase isoforms present in islets or involve another metabolic oscillator remains to be determined

Cord blood DNA methylome in newborns later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder reflects early dysregulation of neurodevelopmental and X-linked genes.

BackgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with complex heritability and higher prevalence in males. The neonatal epigenome has the potential to reflect past interactions between genetic and environmental factors during early development and influence future health outcomes.MethodsWe performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of 152 umbilical cord blood samples from the MARBLES and EARLI high-familial risk prospective cohorts to identify an epigenomic signature of ASD at birth. Samples were split into discovery and replication sets and stratified by sex, and their DNA methylation profiles were tested for differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between ASD and typically developing control cord blood samples. DMRs were mapped to genes and assessed for enrichment in gene function, tissue expression, chromosome location, and overlap with prior ASD studies. DMR coordinates were tested for enrichment in chromatin states and transcription factor binding motifs. Results were compared between discovery and replication sets and between males and females.ResultsWe identified DMRs stratified by sex that discriminated ASD from control cord blood samples in discovery and replication sets. At a region level, 7 DMRs in males and 31 DMRs in females replicated across two independent groups of subjects, while 537 DMR genes in males and 1762 DMR genes in females replicated by gene association. These DMR genes were significantly enriched for brain and embryonic expression, X chromosome location, and identification in prior epigenetic studies of ASD in post-mortem brain. In males and females, autosomal ASD DMRs were significantly enriched for promoter and bivalent chromatin states across most cell types, while sex differences were observed for X-linked ASD DMRs. Lastly, these DMRs identified in cord blood were significantly enriched for binding sites of methyl-sensitive transcription factors relevant to fetal brain development.ConclusionsAt birth, prior to the diagnosis of ASD, a distinct DNA methylation signature was detected in cord blood over regulatory regions and genes relevant to early fetal neurodevelopment. Differential cord methylation in ASD supports the developmental and sex-biased etiology of ASD and provides novel insights for early diagnosis and therapy

Cord blood DNA methylome in newborns later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder reflects early dysregulation of neurodevelopmental and X-linked genes

Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with complex heritability and higher prevalence in males. The neonatal epigenome has the potential to reflect past interactions between genetic and environmental factors during early development and influence future health outcomes. Methods We performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of 152 umbilical cord blood samples from the MARBLES and EARLI high-familial risk prospective cohorts to identify an epigenomic signature of ASD at birth. Samples were split into discovery and replication sets and stratified by sex, and their DNA methylation profiles were tested for differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between ASD and typically developing control cord blood samples. DMRs were mapped to genes and assessed for enrichment in gene function, tissue expression, chromosome location, and overlap with prior ASD studies. DMR coordinates were tested for enrichment in chromatin states and transcription factor binding motifs. Results were compared between discovery and replication sets and between males and females. Results We identified DMRs stratified by sex that discriminated ASD from control cord blood samples in discovery and replication sets. At a region level, 7 DMRs in males and 31 DMRs in females replicated across two independent groups of subjects, while 537 DMR genes in males and 1762 DMR genes in females replicated by gene association. These DMR genes were significantly enriched for brain and embryonic expression, X chromosome location, and identification in prior epigenetic studies of ASD in post-mortem brain. In males and females, autosomal ASD DMRs were significantly enriched for promoter and bivalent chromatin states across most cell types, while sex differences were observed for X-linked ASD DMRs. Lastly, these DMRs identified in cord blood were significantly enriched for binding sites of methyl-sensitive transcription factors relevant to fetal brain development. Conclusions At birth, prior to the diagnosis of ASD, a distinct DNA methylation signature was detected in cord blood over regulatory regions and genes relevant to early fetal neurodevelopment. Differential cord methylation in ASD supports the developmental and sex-biased etiology of ASD and provides novel insights for early diagnosis and therapy.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/173893/1/13073_2020_Article_785.pd