Study shows significant influence of HRD to shape and inspire CSR and sustainability initiatives

Purpose The authors wrote their study in response to the pressures businesses face today to behave responsibly. More than 90% of the largest 250 MNCs in the world, they said, disclose information about various aspects of their CSR and sustainability. Meanwhile, HRD practices play a significant role in the design and effectiveness of these initiatives. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted an analysis of the contents of CR reports to detect themes. They used a list of the top 100 CSR companies in the 2016 Global CSR Rep Trak 100. Overall, 55 reports were included from 23 large MNCs in 17 industries and 10 countries across Europe, Asia and North America. Household names included BMW, Campbell Soup, Dell, FedEx, Nike, Visa, Sony, Honda, Samsung, LEGO, Air Canada, Hilton Worldwide, and Fujifilm. Findings Initial analysis showed that seven areas of HRD work were the most important in supporting CSR and sustainability agendas. They were (1) Diversity, equity and inclusion. (2) Community engagement. (3) Work-life balance. (4) Employee long-term growth and development. (5) Performance management. (6) Business ethics and ethical culture and (7) Raising CSR awareness. Originality/value The study addressed two fundamental questions: First, what is the role of HRD in CSR and sustainability as portrayed in CR reports? Second, what areas of HRD work are highlighted in CR reports as important in the context of CSR and sustainability?

Glycobiology of Serum Proteins Following Exposure to a DGA 2010 Based Dietary Pattern in Women

Objectives Post translational glycosylation (PTG) creates glycoproteins. Glycosylation adds glycan sugars such as sialic acid and fucose to peptides. The type, number and location of these glycans affect the peptides' function and efficacy. Sialic acid is becoming a target biomarker of interest in cardiovascular disease, while fucose has been shown to be elevated in inflammation. The objective of this study was to determine if these glycans (on specific glycoproteins) were different following an 8-wk exposure in women at-risk for cardiometabolic disease to two different dietary patterns – one based on the DGA 2010 (DGA), another based on typical American diet (TAD). Methods Forty-four women were screened and enrolled in to an 8-wk controlled feeding trial, 22 each in DGA and TAD groups. Women were enrolled based on either having elevated fasting glucose, triglycerides, LDL-c, or total cholesterol, 2 h glucose following a glucose challenge, or low HDL-c. Fasting serum samples at baseline (Wk0), following 2-wks of exposure (Wk2) and following 8 weeks of exposure (Wk8) were digested (tryptic) and characterized using a UHPLC MS protocol to evaluate 17 different circulating proteins that were associated with cardiometabolic disease. Primary characterizations involved evaluating overall protein concentrations, as well as glycovariant estimations. Change between Wk8 and Wk0 were calculated to evaluate the effect of the diet, and used in non-parametric van der Waerdan's tests comparing DGA vs TAD. Results Sialylated glycopeptides were higher following the 8-wk diet in DGA compared to TAD for all proteins (P < 0.005), in particular for alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (P = 0.008) and alpha-2-macroglobulin(P = 0.013), while fucosylation was lower in DGA compared to TAD (alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (P = 0.013). Conclusions Diet patterns affect protein post-translational glycosylation, which in turn affects the protein function likely affecting health and disease. Further investigation will help elucidate potential causal links. Funding Sources USDA CRIS 2032–51,530-022 and 2032–51,530-025, A grant from the National Dairy Council in cooperation with the Campbell Soup Co.; Innovative Development Awards UC Davis Academic Federation.