Sustainable Solutions for Human Security and Anti-Corruption: Integrating Theories and Practices

Corruption is a real issue affecting the understanding and practices promoting human security. This article introduces the frameworks of sustainable human security in relation to anticorruption. Human security is explored in its historical evolution and the more recent expansion of its frameworks, including the sustainability and systemic elements. The notion of sustainable human security is examined in relation to corruption and anti-corruption, as expressed in the current challenges and opportunities on sustainable development and human international development

Introduction: Sacred Hospitality Leadership: Values Centered Perspectives and Practices

Thomas Maier and Marco Tavanti introduce this issue of Vincentian Heritage by exploring the sacred meaning of hospitality and the role it should play in leadership. Since hospitality is a reflection of God’s love, it calls us to practice charity in all our relationships and to address the causes of injustice, particularly those that force people to leave their home countries. It is an essential part of modern society as humanity becomes increasingly migratory. The morality of hospitality leadership is discussed. It requires “serving others, developing the capacity of others, sharing your resources with others in recognition of their inner dignity as human beings and as children of God.” Providing quality service is a hallmark of hospitality leadership

Multiscale Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Multiple Protein Adsorption on Gold Nanoparticles

A multiscale molecular dynamics simulation study has been carried out in order to provide in-depth information on the adsorption of hemoglobin, myoglobin, and trypsin over citrate-capped AuNPs of 15 nm diameter. In particular, determinants for single proteins adsorption and simultaneous adsorption of the three types of proteins considered have been studied by Coarse-Grained and Meso-Scale molecular simulations, respectively. The results, discussed in the light of the controversial experimental data reported in the current experimental literature, have provided a detailed description of the (i) recognition process, (ii) number of proteins involved in the early stages of corona formation, (iii) protein competition for AuNP adsorption, (iv) interaction modalities between AuNP and protein binding sites, and (v) protein structural preservation and alteration

Sustainability Initiatives for Management Education: A Roadmap for Institutional Integration

What are the best ways to integrate sustainability concepts into higher education institutions and management education? Sustainability, global responsibility, and social innovations are increasingly accepted worldwide as part of a common agenda and international priority. Yet, higher education institutions and management programs are slow to institute these standards and value-based perspectives to help students change the world for our common and better future. This study reviews key international initiatives, resources, frameworks, and paradigms that can help speed up integration of sustainability in higher education institutions. It also provides suggestions to better integrate Ignatian pedagogy and Buddhist perspectives into management education. Based on these analyses, the authors present practical recommendations to integrate sustainability more effectively into management education and to help develop conscious sustainability leaders for the 21st century

A Short-Range FMCW Radar-Based Approach for Multi-Target Human-Vehicle Detection

In this article, a new microwave-radar-based technique for short-range detection and classification of multiple human and vehicle targets crossing a monitored area is proposed. This approach, which can find applications in both security and infrastructure surveillance, relies upon the processing of the scattered-field data acquired by low-cost off-The-shelf components, i.e., a 24 GHz frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar module and a Raspberry Pi mini-PC. The developed method is based on an ad hoc processing chain to accomplish the automatic target recognition (ATR) task, which consists of blocks performing clutter and leakage removal with an infinite impulse response (IIR) filter, clustering with a density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) approach, tracking using a Benedict-Bordner $alpha$-$eta$ filter, features extraction, and finally classification of targets by means of a $k$-nearest neighbor ( $k$-NN) algorithm. The approach is validated in real experimental scenarios, showing its capabilities in correctly detecting multiple targets belonging to different classes (i.e., pedestrians, cars, motorcycles, and trucks)

Computational insights into the binding of monolayer-capped gold nanoparticles onto amyloid-\u3b2 fibrils

Amyloids-\u3b2 (A\u3b2) fibrils are involved in several neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, atomistic molecular dynamics simulations have been used to investigate how monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles interact with A\u3b2(1-40) and A\u3b2(1-42) fibrils. Our results show that small gold nanoparticles bind with the external side of amyloid-\u3b2 fibrils that is involved in the fibrillation process. The binding affinity, studied for both kinds of fibrils as a function of the monolayer composition and the nanoparticle diameter, is modulated by hydrophobic interactions and ligand monolayer conformation. Our findings thus show that monolayer-protected nanoparticles are good candidates to prevent fibril aggregation and secondary nucleation or to deliver drugs to specific fibril regions

Vincentian University Partnerships for Urban Poverty Reduction

This article discusses the vital need for academic and intersectoral partnerships in the effort to reduce global poverty, especially in cities of developing nations. The academic alliance between DePaul and Adamson universities, and their cooperation with popular organizations (POs) from the communities of poor persons in Manila are described. The activities of Adamson’s Vincentian Center for Social Responsibility (VCSR) and the POs are profiled. DePaul, Adamson, the POs, and the VCSR are working to “increase the leadership and organizational capacity of the POs.” The tenets of academic social responsibility and their reflection of Vincentian values are highlighted

Hyphal morphology, molecular genetics and phylogenetic relationships among commensal and pathogenic vulvovaginal isolates of Candida albicans

Vaginal candidiasis is a common disorder in women of childbearing age, caused primarily by Candida albicans. Since C. albicans is a commensal fungus of the vaginal mucosa, a long-standing question is how the fungus switches from being a harmless commensal to a virulent pathogen. Clinical studies and murine vaginitis models suggest that host inflammatory processes drive the onset of symptomatic infection. In previous work with fresh clinical samples, we found that the pro-inflammatory cell wall polysaccharide β-glucan is largely masked from immune recognition during vulvovaginal infection. Enhanced β-glucan availability was only found in hyphae from symptomatic patients with strong neutrophil infiltration. There was high variability in levels of β-glucan exposure and hyphal morphology among colonizing and infection-associated isolates, and we reasoned that this could be explained by fungal-intrinsic factors and/or host-associated traits. We assayed several aspects of C. albicans isolated from symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals to determine any associations between fungal-intrinsic traits and virulence: MLST analysis, sequencing of the gene encoding the candidalysin toxin, and propensity to form hyphal cells. Preliminary results suggest that none of these indicators correlates with isolates causing symptomatic infection, indicating that host-intrinsic mechanisms may play the most important role in the occurrence of symptomatic infections

Multilocus sequence typing of the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus

A multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme was devised for Aspergillus fumigatus. The system involved sequencing seven gene fragments and was applied to a panel of 100 isolates of A. fumigatus from diverse sources. Thirty different sequence types were found among the 100 isolates, and 93% of the isolates differed from the other isolates by only one allele sequence, forming a single clonal cluster as indicated by the eBURST algorithm. The discriminatory power of the MLST method was only 0.93. These results strongly indicate that A. fumigatus is a species of a relatively recent origin, with low levels of sequence dissimilarity. Typing methods based on variable numbers of tandem repeats offer higher levels of strain discrimination. Mating type data for the 100 isolates showed that 71 isolates were type MAT1-2 and 29 isolates were MAT1-1

The role of time-resolved imaging of contrast kinetics (TRICKS) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in the evaluation of head-neck vascular anomalies: A preliminary experience

Objectives: In this preliminary report, we describe our experience with time-resolved imaging of contrast kinetics-MR angiography (TRICKS-MRA) in the assessment of head-neck vascular anomalies (HNVAs). Methods: We prospectively studied six consecutive patients with clinically suspected or diagnosed HNVAs. All of them underwent TRICKS-MRA of the head and neck as part of the routine for treatment planning. A digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was also performed. Results: TRICKS-MRA could be achieved in all cases. Three subjects were treated based on TRICKS-MRA imaging findings and subsequent DSA examination. In all of them, DSA confirmed the vascular architecture of HNVAs shown by TRICKS-MRA. In the other three patients, a close follow up to assess the evolution of the suspected haemangioma was preferred. Conclusions: TRICKS sequences add important diagnostic information in cases of HNVAs, helpful for therapeutic decisions and post-treatment follow up. We recommend TRICKSMRA use (if technically possible) as part of routine MRI protocol for HNVAs, representing a possible alternative imaging tool to conventional DSA