Die proteische Laufbahnberatung - Erfolgsfaktor in der moderenen Arbeitswelt? : Bestandesaufnahme unter Private Bankern der Credit Suisse im Jahr 2015 inklusive Handlungsempfehlungen für die Praxis

Gegenstand der vorliegenden Arbeit ist eine Bestandesaufnahme zur proteischen Laufbahnorientierung unter Private Bankern der Credit Suisse in der Schweiz. Untersucht werden die Auftretenshäufigkeit der Orientierung sowie ihr allfälliger Einfluss auf die berufliche Zufriedenheit, den objektiven Berufserfolg, die Eignung zur Führungsperson sowie die Proaktivität der Individuen. Im theoretischen Teil werden traditionelle Laufbahntheorien und neuere Ansätze der beruflichen Laufbahnforschung präsentiert und mit den Entwicklungstendenzen der Arbeitswelt hin zu Instabilität, Individualisierung und Flexibilisierung verknüpft. Das Konzept der proteischen Laufbahnorientierung wird umfassend vorgestellt und der aktuelle Forschungsstand aufgezeigt. Die empirischen Befunde wurden durch die quantitative Untersuchung einer Stichprobe von 71 Private Bankern der Credit Suisse in der Schweiz gewonnen. Der eingesetzte Onlinefragebogen enthielt 29 auf die Fragestellung ausgerichtete Items sowie 14 Items einer wissenschaftlich erprobten Skala zur Messung der proteischen Laufbahnorientierung. Mit diesem Vorgehen konnten die proteischen Personen identifiziert und Zusammenhänge zwischen der Laufbahnorientierung und Berufszufriedenheit, Führungseignung oder der Proaktivität untersucht werden. Die Befunde deuten an, dass die proteischen Metakompetenzen Eigenverantwortlichkeit und Wertorientierung in der modernen Arbeitswelt zu neuen Schlüsselkompetenzen werden könnten. Proteische Banker stellten sich als offen für Wandel heraus. Sie suchen aktiv nach unbekannten und herausfordernden Aufgaben und sind zu lebenslangem Lernen motiviert. Für Führungsaufgaben könnten sie sich in besonderem Masse eignen. In der Hierarchie stiegen proteische Banker häufiger auf als nicht proteische. Allerdings stellten sich die proteischen Kundenberater in dieser Untersuchung als überdurchschnittlich abgangsgefährdet heraus. Ihre berufliche Zufriedenheit war nicht erhöht. Die Ergebnisse werden vertieft diskutiert. Daraus abgeleitete Handlungsempfehlungen für die Credit Suisse runden die Arbeit ab

How complex analyses of large multidimensional datasets advance psychology – examples from large-scale studies on behavior, brain imaging, and genetics

Psychology investigates the interplay of human mind, body, and its environment in health and disease. Fully understanding these complex interrelations requires comprehensive analyses across multiple modalities and multidimensional datasets. Large-scale analyses on complex datasets are the exception rather than the rule in current psychological research. At the same time, large and complex datasets are becoming increasingly available. This thesis points out benefits, challenges and adequate approaches for analyzing complex multidimensional datasets in psychology. We applied these approaches and analysis strategies in two studies. In the first publication, we reduced the dimensionality of brain activation during a working memory task based on data from a very large sample. We observed that a mainly parietally-centered brain network was associated with working memory performance and global measures of white matter integrity. In the second publication, we exhaustively assessed pairwise interaction effects of genetic markers onto epigenetic modifications of the genome. Such modifications are complex traits that can be influenced by the environment and in turn affect development and behavior. The lack of observed strong interaction effects in our study suggested that focusing on additive effects is a suitable approach for investigating the link between genetic markers and epigenetic modifications. Both studies demonstrate how psychological scientists can exploit large complex datasets by applying adequate research practices and methodologies. Further adopting these approaches will prepare psychological research for harnessing large and complex datasets, leading towards a better understanding of mental health and disease

Recognition memory performance can be estimated based on brain activation networks

Recognition memory is an essential ability for functioning in everyday life. Establishing robust brain networks linked to recognition memory performance can help to understand the neural basis of recognition memory itself and the interindividual differences in recognition memory performance.; We analysed behavioural and whole-brain fMRI data from 1'410 healthy young adults during the testing phase of a picture-recognition task. Using independent component analysis (ICA), we decomposed the fMRI contrast for previously seen vs. new (old-new) pictures into networks of brain activity. This was done in two independent samples (training sample: N = 645, replication sample: N = 665). Next, we investigated the relationship between the identified brain networks and interindividual differences in recognition memory performance by conducting a prediction analysis. We estimated the prediction accuracy in a third independent sample (test sample: N = 100).; We identified 12 robust and replicable brain networks using two independent samples. Based on the activity of those networks we could successfully estimate interindividual differences in recognition memory performance with high accuracy in a third independent sample (r = 0.5, p = 1.29 × 10; -07; ).; Given the robustness of the ICA decomposition as well as the high prediction estimate, the identified brain networks may be considered as potential biomarkers of recognition memory performance in healthy young adults and can be further investigated in the context of health and disease

Potent neutralization by monoclonal human IgM against SARS-CoV-2 is impaired by class switch.

To investigate the class-dependent properties of anti-viral IgM antibodies, we use membrane antigen capture activated cell sorting to isolate spike-protein-specific B cells from donors recently infected with SARS-CoV-2, allowing production of recombinant antibodies. We isolate 20, spike-protein-specific antibodies of classes IgM, IgG, and IgA, none of which shows any antigen-independent binding to human cells. Two antibodies of class IgM mediate virus neutralization at picomolar concentrations, but this potency is lost following artificial switch to IgG. Although, as expected, the IgG versions of the antibodies appear to have lower avidity than their IgM parents, this is not sufficient to explain the loss of potency

Human cerebellum and corticocerebellar connections involved in emotional memory enhancement

Emotional information is better remembered than neutral information. Extensive evidence indicates that the amygdala and its interactions with other cerebral regions play an important role in the memory-enhancing effect of emotional arousal. While the cerebellum has been found to be involved in fear conditioning, its role in emotional enhancement of episodic memory is less clear. To address this issue, we used a whole-brain functional MRI approach in 1,418 healthy participants. First, we identified clusters significantly activated during enhanced memory encoding of negative and positive emotional pictures. In addition to the well-known emotional memory-related cerebral regions, we identified a cluster in the cerebellum. We then used dynamic causal modeling and identified several cerebellar connections with increased connection strength corresponding to enhanced emotional memory, including one to a cluster covering the amygdala and hippocampus, and bidirectional connections with a cluster covering the anterior cingulate cortex. The present findings indicate that the cerebellum is an integral part of a network involved in emotional enhancement of episodic memory

Exhaustive search for epistatic effects on the human methylome

Studies assessing the existence and magnitude of epistatic effects on complex human traits provide inconclusive results. The study of such effects is complicated by considerable increase in computational burden, model complexity, and model uncertainty, which in concert decrease model stability. An additional source introducing significant uncertainty with regard to the detection of robust epistasis is the biological distance between the genetic variation and the trait under study. Here we studied CpG methylation, a genetically complex molecular trait that is particularly close to genomic variation, and performed an exhaustive search for two-locus epistatic effects on the CpG-methylation signal in two cohorts of healthy young subjects. We detected robust epistatic effects for a small number of CpGs (N = 404). Our results indicate that epistatic effects explain only a minor part of variation in DNA-CpG methylation. Interestingly, these CpGs were more likely to be associated with gene-expression of nearby genes, as also shown by their overrepresentation in DNase I hypersensitivity sites and underrepresentation in CpG islands. Finally, gene ontology analysis showed a significant enrichment of these CpGs in pathways related to HPV-infection and cancer

Common epigenetic variation in a European population of mentally healthy young adults

DNA methylation represents an important link between structural genetic variation and complex phenotypes. The study of genome-wide CpG methylation and its relation to traits relevant to psychiatry has become increasingly important. Here, we analyzed quality metrics of 394,043 CpG sites in two samples of 568 and 319 mentally healthy young adults. For 25% of all CpGs we observed medium to large common epigenetic variation. These CpGs were overrepresented in open sea and shore regions, as well as in intergenic regions. They also showed a strong enrichment of significant hits in association analyses. Furthermore, a significant proportion of common DNA methylation is at least partially genetically driven and thus may be observed similarly across tissues. These findings could be of particular relevance for studies of complex neuropsychiatric traits, which often rely on proxy tissues

Gut microbiota composition as a candidate risk factor for dimethyl fumarate-induced lymphopenia in multiple sclerosis

Mounting evidence points towards a pivotal role of gut microbiota in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathophysiology. Yet, whether disease-modifying treatments alter microbiota composition and whether microbiota shape treatment response and side-effects remain unclear. In this prospective observational pilot study, we assessed the effect of dimethyl fumarate (DMF) on gut microbiota and on host/microbial metabolomics in a cohort of 20 MS patients. Combining state-of-the-art microbial sequencing, metabolome mass spectrometry, and computational analysis, we identified longitudinal changes in gut microbiota composition under DMF-treatment and an increase in citric acid cycle metabolites. Notably, DMF-induced lymphopenia, a clinically relevant safety concern, was correlated with distinct baseline microbiome signatures in MS patients. We identified gastrointestinal microbiota as a key therapeutic target for metabolic properties of DMF. By characterizing gut microbial composition as a candidate risk factor for DMF-induced lymphopenia, we provide novel insights into the role of microbiota in mediating clinical side-effects

Predictive value of cough frequency in addition to aspiration risk for increased risk of pneumonia in dysphagic stroke survivors : a clinical pilot study

Background: Post-stroke dysphagia leads to increased risk of aspiration and subsequent higher risk of pneumonia. It is important to not only diagnose post-stroke dysphagia early but also to evaluate the protective mechanism that counteracts aspiration, i.e., primarily cough. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of cough frequency in addition to aspiration risk for pneumonia outcome. Methods: This was a single-center prospective observational study. Patients with first-ever strokes underwent clinical swallowing evaluation, fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), and overnight cough recording using LEOSound® (Löwenstein Medical GmbH Co. KG, Bad Ems, Germany ). Penetration–Aspiration Scale (PAS) ratings and cough frequency measurements were correlated with incidence of pneumonia at discharge. Results: 11 women (37%) and 19 men (63%), mean age 70.3 years (SD ± 10.6), with ischemic stroke and dysphagia were enrolled. Correlation analysis showed statistically significant relationships between pneumonia and PAS (r = 0.521; p 0.05), hourly cough frequency (r = 0,441; p 0.05), and categories of cough severity (r = 0.428 p 0.05), respectively. Logistic regression showed significant predictive effects of PAS (b = 0.687; p = 0.014) and cough frequency (b = 0.239; p = 0.041) for pneumonia outcome. Conclusion: Cough frequency in addition to aspiration risk was an independent predictor of pneumonia in dysphagic stroke survivors