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"Finn, Daniel"
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Can brain state be manipulated to emphasize individual differences in functional connectivity?
While neuroimaging studies typically collapse data from many subjects, brain functional organization varies between individuals, and characterizing this variability is crucial for relating brain activity to behavioral phenotypes. Rest has become the default state for probing individual differences, chiefly because it is easy to acquire and a supposed neutral backdrop. However, the assumption that rest is the optimal condition for individual differences research is largely untested. In fact, other brain states may afford a better ratio of within- to between-subject variability, facilitating biomarker discovery. Depending on the trait or behavior under study, certain tasks may bring out meaningful idiosyncrasies across subjects, essentially enhancing the individual signal in networks of interest beyond what can be measured at rest. Here, we review theoretical considerations and existing work on how brain state influences individual differences in functional connectivity, present some preliminary analyses of within- and between-subject variability across conditions using data from the Human Connectome Project, and outline questions for future study.
•Rest is the default for studying individual differences in functional connectivity.•But certain tasks may improve the ratio of within- to between-subject variability.•We review work on how scan condition influences individual differences.•Preliminary results using HCP data show individual differences change with task.•Using certain tasks over rest may improve sensitivity of imaging-based biomarkers.
Journal Article
Virtue, Trust, and Moral Agency in Business
The second is to understand more carefully what reciprocity within a social structure is and how reciprocity generates the trust required not only for the development of virtue but also for the productive operation of the business enterprise. Understanding social structures The view of social structures most helpful for Christian ethics comes from the critical realist school of sociology.1 Unlike many other sociological approaches, critical realist sociology avoids the mistakes of holism (where human freedom fades due to powerful social forces) and individualism (where there are no causal forces in society other than individuals and groups). The point in turning to the character of the natural sciences is that some of the counterintuitive aspects of the sociological theory of social structures become far more intuitively plausible when those characteristics are understood to be similarly part of the natural world. Deep within the atom, protons and neutrons emerge from up quarks and down quarks.
Journal Article
Improving Theology’s Understanding of Complicity and Oppression in Sinful Social Structures
This article clarifies two choices at two different levels of analysis—that theologians make (often implicitly) in employing social science to clarify how social structures affect moral agency. The first is the choice of a general causal account of how all social structures “work,” where this article endorses the view provided by critical realist sociology. The second is the choice of some particular causal account of the functioning of a specific kind of social structure. It proposes a new definition that applies to all, not simply the most egregious sinful social structures that accounts for both the oppression of the marginalized and the complicity of the privileged. To illustrate the analysis, we end by examining three features important in the transformation of sinful social structures that have received inadequate attention in the literature of theological ethics: nonmoral cognitive categories, bodily practices, and the penalties for noncompliance.
Journal Article
Business Ethics and Catholic Social Thought
A comprehensive overview of the contribution of Catholic social thought to business ethics Can a religion founded on loving one’s neighbor give moral approval to profit-seeking business firms in a global economy? What should characterize the relationship between faith and economic life? What can businesses, employees, and executives do to contribute to the common good and to make their practices and society more ethical? Business Ethics and Catholic Social Thought provides a new and wide-ranging account of these two ostensibly divergent fields. Focusing on the agency of the business person and the interests of firms, this volume outlines fundamental issues confronting moral leaders and corporations committed to responsible business practices. The book leads with interviews of three Catholic CEOs and the intellectual history of business ethics in Christianity before examining fundamental moral concerns regarding business: its purpose, autonomy, practical wisdom, and the technocratic paradigm. Contributing authors also consider management science, the motivations of business leaders, the role of luck in personal success, the traditional moral justifications for business, and more. These contributions bring new depth to the application of Catholic social thought to business ethics during a time when economic crisis demands a reevaluation of business and its contribution to society.
eBook
Moral Agency within Social Structures and Culture
Christian ethics has addressed moral agency and culture from the start, and Christian social ethics increasingly acknowledges the power of social structures. However, neither has made sufficient use of the discipline that specializes in understanding structures and culture: sociology. In Moral Agency within Social Structures and Culture, editor and contributor Daniel K. Finn proposes a field-changing critical realist sociology that puts Christian ethics into conversation with modern discourses on human agency and social transformation. Catholic social teaching mischaracterizes social evil as being little more than the sum of individual choices, remedied through individual conversion. Liberation theology points to the power of social structures but without specifying how structures affect moral agency. Critical realist sociology provides a solution to both shortcomings. This collection shows how sociological insights can deepen and extend Catholic social thought by enabling ethicists to analyze more precisely how structures and culture impact human decisions. The book demonstrates how this sociological framework has applications for the study of the ecological crisis, economic life, and virtue ethics. Moral Agency within Social Structures and Culture is a valuable tool for Christian ethicists who seek systemic change in accord with the Gospel.
eBook
A Lipid Transfer Protein Increases the Glutathione Content and Enhances Arabidopsis Resistance to a Trichothecene Mycotoxin
Fusarium head blight (FHB) or scab is one of the most important plant diseases worldwide, affecting wheat, barley and other small grains. Trichothecene mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulate in the grain, presenting a food safety risk and health hazard to humans and animals. Despite considerable breeding efforts, highly resistant wheat or barley cultivars are not available. We screened an activation tagged Arabidopsis thaliana population for resistance to trichothecin (Tcin), a type B trichothecene in the same class as DON. Here we show that one of the resistant lines identified, trichothecene resistant 1 (trr1) contains a T-DNA insertion upstream of two nonspecific lipid transfer protein (nsLTP) genes, AtLTP4.4 and AtLTP4.5. Expression of both nsLTP genes was induced in trr1 over 10-fold relative to wild type. Overexpression of AtLTP4.4 provided greater resistance to Tcin than AtLTP4.5 in Arabidopsis thaliana and in Saccharomyces cerevisiae relative to wild type or vector transformed lines, suggesting a conserved protection mechanism. Tcin treatment increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in Arabidopsis and ROS stain was associated with the chloroplast, the cell wall and the apoplast. ROS levels were attenuated in Arabidopsis and in yeast overexpressing AtLTP4.4 relative to the controls. Exogenous addition of glutathione and other antioxidants enhanced resistance of Arabidopsis to Tcin while the addition of buthionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of glutathione synthesis, increased sensitivity, suggesting that resistance was mediated by glutathione. Total glutathione content was significantly higher in Arabidopsis and in yeast overexpressing AtLTP4.4 relative to the controls, highlighting the importance of AtLTP4.4 in maintaining the redox state. These results demonstrate that trichothecenes cause ROS accumulation and overexpression of AtLTP4.4 protects against trichothecene-induced oxidative stress by increasing the glutathione-based antioxidant defense.
Journal Article
An evaluation of recurrent hypoglycemia across Chicago, Illinois
Recurrent hypoglycemia is understudied. This study evaluates recurrent hypoglycemia, fragmentation of care and mortality in a large urban center.
The Chicago HealthLNK Data Repository (CHDR), a de-identified electronic health record data set from institutions across Chicago, identified 9741 patients with diabetes (DM) who had hypoglycemia (emergency department (ED) or inpatient admission (IA)) from 2006 to 2012. Recurrence was defined as more than one hypoglycemia encounter, and fragmentation of health care was defined as an ED visit or IA for hypoglycemia at >1 site.
187,644 patients were identified with DM; of 9741 patients with hypoglycemia, 2857 (29.3%) had recurrence. Patients with ≥4 hypoglycemic encounters (n = 1035) represented 10.6%, but accounted for 40.3% hypoglycemic encounters. Of 2857 patients with recurrence, 304 patients (10.6%) had fragmented care. In those with high hypoglycemic encounters (≥4), 22% (N = 226) had ≥10 encounters; race and insurance status differences were associated with number of hypoglycemic encounters. Having hypoglycemia was associated with increased mortality compared to no hypoglycemia (n = 2696, 27.7% vs n = 20,188, 11.4%; p < 0.00001 by chi-square).
A small subset of patients with hypoglycemia accounted for a large subset of hypoglycemia encounters. Targeted interventions in this high-risk, high mortality group are needed.
•Nearly 30% of those with emergency room visits or inpatient visits for hypoglycemia had recurrent events.•A minority of patients had ≥4 hypoglycemic encounters (10.6%) but accounted for 40.3% of all hypoglycemic encounters.•Race and insurance status differences were associated with number of hypoglycemic encounters•Hypoglycemia was associated with increased mortality in the short term (almost 30%).
Journal Article
When evidence is lacking: a mixed-methods approach for the development of practice guidance in liver transplantation
Background
Most interventions for conditions with a small cohort size, such as transplantation, are unlikely to be part of a clinical trial. When condition-specific evidence is lacking, expert consensus can offer more precise guidance to improve care. Management of cardiovascular risk in liver-transplant recipients is one example for which clinicians have, to date, adapted evidence-based guidelines from studies in the general population. However, even when consensus is achieved, implementation of practice guidance is often inadequate and protracted. We report on a novel mixed-methods approach, the Northwestern Method©, for the development of clinical-practice guidance when condition-specific evidence is lacking. We illustrate the method through the development of practice guidance for managing cardiovascular risk in liver-transplant recipients.
Methods
The Northwestern Method© consists of (i) adaptation of relevant, existing, evidence-based clinical-practice guidelines for the target population; (ii) consensus by experts of the proposed practice guidance; (iii) identification of barriers to guidance adherence in current practice; and (iv) recommendation for implementation and dissemination of the practice guidance. The method is based on an iterative, user-centered approach in which the needs, wants, and limitations of all end users, including patients, are attended to at each stage of the design and development process.
Conclusions
The Northwestern Method© for clinical-practice-guidance development uses a mixed-methods approach to bring together broad representation from multiple disciplines and practice settings to develop consensus considering the unique needs and preferences of patients, caregivers, and practitioners who are directly impacted by clinical-practice-guidance recommendations. We hypothesize that a priori involvement of end users in the guidance-development process will lead to sustainable implementation of guidance statements into clinical practice.
Journal Article
An Effective System to Produce Smoke Solutions from Dried Plant Tissue for Seed Germination Studies
Premise of the study: An efficient and inexpensive system was developed to produce smoke solutions from plant material to research the influence of water-soluble compounds from smoke on seed germination. Methods and Results: Smoke solutions (300 mL per batch) were produced by burning small quantities (100–200 g) of dried plant material from a range of species in a bee smoker attached by a heater hose to a side-arm flask. The flask was attached to a vacuum water aspirator, to pull the smoke through the water. The entire apparatus was operated in a laboratory fume hood. Conclusions: Compared with other smoke solution preparation systems, the system described is easy to assemble and operate, inexpensive to build, and effective at producing smoke solutions from desired species in a small indoor space. Quantitative measurements can be made when using this system, allowing for replication of the process.
Journal Article