Doing well by doing good — CSR in a global context

Motivation: Nowadays, there is a general understanding that stakeholders are crucial for the successful enterprise. There is also a need to think about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in a global context. Never before corporations enjoyed so much power and authority. Corporations need to evolve, re-think their strategies and change their processes accordingly. However, as of now, there is no agreed way of measuring overall sustainability of actions of each company. There is a great need for holistic studies of CSR, analyzing in details the value created, from stakeholders point of view.Aim: This paper is an attempt to propose a way of looking at corporate social responsibility in line with current methodologies and frameworks focusing on value creation. Currently there is no one definition of global CSR to be used, nor there is one comprehensive methodology to describe it. Instead there is abundance of theories and frameworks. This paper proposes one definition and presents a method of analysis of the global corporate commitment to CSR approach. The main concern of this paper is to offer an insight into different ways companies can create value for various stakeholders groups.Results: Conducted analysis indicated that products companies are aware of needs and expectations of various stakeholders and are good at meeting them. Although assessed companies managed to link sustainability with their strategies, they did not achieve transforming sustainability into core of their business

Re-evaluation of the significance of penicillin binding protein 3 in the susceptibility of Listeria monocytogenes to β-lactam antibiotics

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Penicillin binding protein 3 (PBP3) of <it>L. monocytogenes </it>has long been thought of as the primary lethal target for β-lactam antibiotics due to the excellent correlation between the MICs of different β-lactams and their affinity for this protein. The gene encoding PBP3 has not yet been directly identified in this gram-positive bacterium, but based on <it>in silico </it>analysis, this protein is likely to be encoded by <it>lmo1438</it>. However, studies examining the effects of mutations in genes encoding known and putative <it>L. monocytogenes </it>PBPs have demonstrated that inactivation of <it>lmo1438 </it>does not affect sensitivity to β-lactams.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, overexpression of <it>lmo1438 </it>was achieved using an inducible (nisin-controlled) expression system. This permitted the direct demonstration that <it>lmo1438 </it>encodes PBP3. PBP3 overexpression was accompanied by slightly elevated PBP4 expression. The recombinant strain overexpressing PBP3 displayed significant growth retardation and greatly reduced cell length in the stationary phase of growth in culture. In antibiotic susceptibility assays, the strain overexpressing PBP3 displayed increased sensitivity to subinhibitory concentrations of several β-lactams and decreased survival in the presence of a lethal dose of penicillin G. However, the MIC values of the tested β-lactams for this recombinant strain were unchanged compared to the parent strain.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study allows a reevaluation of the importance of PBP3 in the susceptibility of <it>L. monocytogenes </it>to β-lactams. It is clear that PBP3 is not the primary lethal target for β-lactams, since neither the absence nor an excess of this protein affect the susceptibility of <it>L. monocytogenes </it>to these antibiotics. The elevated level of PBP4 expression observed in the recombinant strain overexpressing PBP3 demonstrates that the composition of the <it>L. monocytogenes </it>cell wall is subject to tight regulation. The observed changes in the morphology of stationary phase cells in response to PBP3 overexpression suggests the involvement of this protein in cell division during this phase of growth.</p

Doing well by doing good — CSR in a global context

Motivation: Nowadays, there is a general understanding that stakeholders are crucial for the successful enterprise. There is also a need to think about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in a global context. Never before corporations enjoyed so much power and authority. Corporations need to evolve, re-think their strategies and change their processes accordingly. However, as of now, there is no agreed way of measuring overall sustainability of actions of each company. There is a great need for holistic studies of CSR, analyzing in details the value created, from stakeholders point of view.Aim: This paper is an attempt to propose a way of looking at corporate social responsibility in line with current methodologies and frameworks focusing on value creation. Currently there is no one definition of global CSR to be used, nor there is one comprehensive methodology to describe it. Instead there is abundance of theories and frameworks. This paper proposes one definition and presents a method of analysis of the global corporate commitment to CSR approach. The main concern of this paper is to offer an insight into different ways companies can create value for various stakeholders groups.Results: Conducted analysis indicated that products companies are aware of needs and expectations of various stakeholders and are good at meeting them. Although assessed companies managed to link sustainability with their strategies, they did not achieve transforming sustainability into core of their business.</p

O mniej lub bardziej słodkim cukrze, czyli kilka uwag o odpowiedzialności społecznej firm rodzinnych i przedsiębiorstw społecznych

In this paper, taking as a starting point Freeman&rsquo;s stakeholder theory approach, we aim to reflect on the peculiarities of social responsibility among family business and social enterprises. Social enterprises are considered as perfect examples of corporate social responsibility practice. Family business, display particular values and have unique stakeholders. We point to the areas of challenge that both kinds of enterprises cope with, and refer to the scarce research results in this problem. &nbsp

RE-FRAME FASHION Report. Innovation in Fashion Education

RE-FRAME FASHION is a two-year Strategic Partnerships project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. Its aim is to understand the needs of fashion industry stakeholders and provide students with the right tool set to meet these needs. The transnational project is designed and executed by three European universities - Erasmus University Rotterdam (NL), Université ParisDauphine - PSL (FR), Gda?sk University of Technology (PL) - together with fashion industry partners. This report provides an overview of the final project results. With the international collaboration, the following three high quality courses were developed and piloted in three HEIs in close collaboration with non-academic fashion partners: 1. “Sustainability in Fashion” developed and piloted by Université ParisDauphine - PSL, 2. “Entrepreneurship and Creativity in Fashion” developed and piloted by Gda?sk University of Technology, 3. “Heritage and Fashion” developed and piloted by the Erasmus University Rotterdam. Furthemore, the report delves into the methodology behind the courses and discusses the methods used to foster students’ engagement, critical thinking and the involvement of stakeholders. The course “Sustainability in Fashion” was developed together with key industry partner Le Coq Sportif. The course delved into the current debates in the fashion industry concerning sustainability, and was organized along six themes: the consumption of clothes, the production of clothes, the design of clothes, the choice of materials, the role and impact of communication, and the work environment (local and global). Field trips were a key aspect of the course, which encouraged students to interact with industry experts and keeping logbooks of these interactions. The course was well received and will be continued in three curriculum: it is renewed in the Master Marketing &amp; Strategy but adapted to two different tracks, Communication and Luxury, and proposed in the Master Fashion &amp; Materials of Paris Fashion School by PSL (École Nationale de Mode et Matière, EnaMoMa) as a core course on sustainability. The course “Entrepreneurship and Creativity in Fashion” was developed with key industry partner You’ll, a marketing agency. The aim was to familiarize students with the concept of entrepreneurship, introducing the fashion industry and sensitising students to sustainability issues and cultural aspects of fashion. Due to the highly interactive character of the course, it was well received and will be continued in the curriculum of the master programme International Management (IM) at Gda?sk University of Technology. “Heritage in Fashion” was developed with a key fashion partner, the European Fashion Heritage Association (EFHA). During the course students developed case studies related to the various challenges faced by the EFHA. Case-based learning was at the centre of the teaching method employed throughout the course. In the reflection upon the course, students mentioned they felt challenged and were very satisfied with the course overall. The course is continued in the next academic year as part of the curriculum of the Master in History, track GLOCAL, Global Markets Local Markets. RE-FRAME FASHION Strategic Partnerships project allowed for a deep reflection by the project team of its own practices and approaches, accounting for a variety of geographic, economic and sociocultural contexts, in a critical period where academia, industry and society are deeply changing. Lastly, it is worth mentioning that all courses developed in this project were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. As the courses relied heavily on field trips and interaction with students and fashion industry stakeholders, some parts of the courses had to be readapted to a digital learning environment. Nevertheless, the project team used all the tools to ensure the best learning experience for the students, and with all adaptations the courses were well received by both students and fashion industry partners. In conclusion, RE-FRAME FASHION managed to contribute to the acquisition of sustainability skills, cognitive and emotional attitudes, interdisciplinary knowledge, community and social learning, aspects that are highly valued by the European Commission. The three new courses are the steppingstones towards an International Master in Fashion Industry (IMFI) that is international, transdisciplinary, and inclusive. The team is looking forward to continuing working together, enlarging the network of partners, building on the new courses and methods and inspiring other academics, professionals and students to engage in innovative education

Chitinase Expression in Listeria monocytogenes Is Influenced by lmo0327, Which Encodes an Internalin-Like Protein

ABSTRACT The chitinolytic system of Listeria monocytogenes thus far comprises two chitinases, ChiA and ChiB, and a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase, Lmo2467. The role of the system in the bacterium appears to be pleiotropic, as besides mediating the hydrolysis of chitin, the second most ubiquitous carbohydrate in nature, the chitinases have been deemed important for the colonization of unicellular molds, as well as mammalian hosts. To identify additional components of the chitinolytic system, we screened a transposon mutant library for mutants exhibiting impaired chitin hydrolysis. The screening yielded a mutant with a transposon insertion in a locus corresponding to lmo0327 of the EGD-e strain. lmo0327 encodes a large (1,349 amino acids [aa]) cell wall-associated protein that has been proposed to possess murein hydrolase activity. The single inactivation of lmo0327 , as well as of lmo0325 that codes for a putative transcriptional regulator functionally related to lmo0327 , led to an almost complete abolishment of chitinolytic activity. The effect could be traced at the transcriptional level, as both chiA and chiB transcripts were dramatically decreased in the lmo0327 mutant. In accordance with that, we could barely detect ChiA and ChiB in the culture supernatants of the mutant strain. Our results provide new information regarding the function of the lmo0325-lmo0327 locus in L. monocytogenes and link it to the expression of chitinolytic activity. IMPORTANCE Many bacteria from terrestrial and marine environments express chitinase activities enabling them to utilize chitin as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Interestingly, several bacterial chitinases may also be involved in host pathogenesis. For example, in the important foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes , the chitinases ChiA and ChiB and the lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase Lmo2467 are implicated in chitin assimilation but also act as virulence factors during the infection of mammalian hosts. Therefore, it is important to identify their regulators and induction cues to understand how the different roles of the chitinolytic system are controlled and mediated. Here, we provide evidence for the importance of lmo0327 and lmo0325 , encoding a putative internalin/autolysin and a putative transcriptional activator, respectively, in the efficient expression of chitinase activity in L. monocytogenes and thereby provide new information regarding the function of the lmo0325-lmo0327 locus. </jats:p

The potential of using E. coli as an indicator for the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment

To understand the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), in a One-Health perspective, surveillance play an important role. Monitoring systems already exist in the human health and livestock sectors, but there are no environmental monitoring programs. Therefore there is an urgent need to initiate environmental AMR monitoring programs nationally and globally, which will complement existing systems in different sectors. However, environmental programs should not only identify anthropogenic influences and levels of AMR, but they should also allow for identification of transmissions to and from human and animal populations. In the current review we therefore propose using antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli as indicators for monitoring occurrence and levels of AMR in the environment, including wildlife.publishedVersio

A global multinational survey of cefotaxime-resistant coliforms in urban wastewater treatment plants

The World Health Organization Global Action Plan recommends integrated surveillance programs as crucial strategies for monitoring antibiotic resistance. Although several national surveillance programs are in place for clinical and veterinary settings, no such schemes exist for monitoring antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment. In this transnational study, we developed, validated, and tested a low-cost surveillance and easy to implement approach to evaluate antibiotic resistance in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) by targeting cefotaxime-resistant (CTX-R) coliforms as indicators. The rationale for this approach was: i) coliform quantification methods are internationally accepted as indicators of fecal contamination in recreational waters and are therefore routinely applied in analytical labs; ii) CTX-R coliforms are clinically relevant, associated with extended-spectrum ?-lactamases (ESBLs), and are rare in pristine environments. We analyzed 57 WWTPs in 22 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and North America. CTX-R coliforms were ubiquitous in raw sewage and their relative abundance varied significantly (< 0.1% to 38.3%), being positively correlated (p < 0.001) with regional atmospheric temperatures. Although most WWTPs removed large proportions of CTX-R coliforms, loads over 103 colony-forming units per mL were occasionally observed in final effluents. We demonstrate that CTX-R coliform monitoring is a feasible and affordable approach to assess wastewater antibiotic resistance status

CSR and age management in the enterprises

W niniejszym artykule podjęto rozważania nad odpowiedzialnością społeczną biznesu, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem kwestii zarządzania wiekiem. W przekonaniu autorki działania CSR skoncentrowane na pracownikach firmy są jedną z możliwych dróg dochodzenia przez przedsiębiorstwa (w tym również reprezentujące sektor MSP) do sukcesu, poprzez zbudowanie silnego, zmotywowanego i zaangażowanego w pracę zespołu.In the article author concentrates on the issue of corporate social responsibility, with special emphasis on age management. In author’s opinion CSR’s activities focused on employees, in strategic orientation, will become the most successful method for companies (including SME’s) in the process of wining the market’s competitiveness