A keratin scaffold regulates epidermal barrier formation, mitochondrial lipid composition, and activity.

Keratin intermediate filaments (KIFs) protect the epidermis against mechanical force, support strong adhesion, help barrier formation, and regulate growth. The mechanisms by which type I and II keratins contribute to these functions remain incompletely understood. Here, we report that mice lacking all type I or type II keratins display severe barrier defects and fragile skin, leading to perinatal mortality with full penetrance. Comparative proteomics of cornified envelopes (CEs) from prenatal KtyI(-/-) and KtyII(-/-)(K8) mice demonstrates that absence of KIF causes dysregulation of many CE constituents, including downregulation of desmoglein 1. Despite persistence of loricrin expression and upregulation of many Nrf2 targets, including CE components Sprr2d and Sprr2h, extensive barrier defects persist, identifying keratins as essential CE scaffolds. Furthermore, we show that KIFs control mitochondrial lipid composition and activity in a cell-intrinsic manner. Therefore, our study explains the complexity of keratinopathies accompanied by barrier disorders by linking keratin scaffolds to mitochondria, adhesion, and CE formation

Integrating Traditional and Social Media Data to Predict Bilateral Migrant Stocks in the European Union

Although up-to-date information on the nature and extent of migration within the European Union (EU) is important for policymaking, timely and reliable statistics on the number of EU citizens residing in or moving across other member states are difficult to obtain. In this paper, we develop a statistical model that integrates data on EU migrant stocks using traditional sources such as census, population registers and Labour Force Survey, with novel data sources, primarily from the Facebook Advertising Platform. Findings suggest that combining different data sources provides near real-time estimates that can serve as early warnings about shifts in EU mobility patterns. Estimated migrant stocks match relatively well to the observed data, despite some overestimation of smaller migrant populations and underestimation for larger migrant populations in Germany and the United Kingdom. In addition, the model estimates missing stocks for migrant corridors and years where no data are available, offering timely now-casted estimates

Do multicomponent workplace health and wellbeing programs predict changes in health and wellbeing?

Organizations typically deploy multiple health and wellbeing practices in an overall program. We explore whether practices in workplace health and wellbeing programs cohere around a small number of archetypal categories or whether differences between organizations are better ex-plained by a continuum. We also examine whether adopting multiple practices predicts subse-quent changes in health and wellbeing. Using survey data from 146 organizations, we found differences between organizations were best characterized by a continuum ranging from less to more extensive adoption of practices. Using two-wave multilevel survey data at both individual and organizational level (N = 6,968 individuals, N = 58 organizations), we found that in organi-zations that adopt a wider range of health and wellbeing practices, workers with poor baseline psychological wellbeing were more likely to report subsequent improvements in wellbeing and workers that reported good physical health at baseline were less likely to report experiencing poor health at follow-up. We found no evidence that adopting multiple health and wellbeing practices buffered the impact of individuals’ workplace psychosocial hazards on physical health or psy-chological wellbeing

Integrating Traditional and Social Media Data to Predict Bilateral Migrant Stocks in the European Union

Although up-to-date information on the nature and extent of migration within the European Union (EU) is important for policymaking, timely and reliable statistics on the number of EU citizens residing in or moving across other member states are difficult to obtain. In this paper, we develop a statistical model that integrates data on EU migrant stocks using traditional sources such as census, population registers and Labour Force Survey, with novel data sources, primarily from the Facebook Advertising Platform. Findings suggest that combining different data sources provides near real-time estimates that can serve as early warnings about shifts in EU mobility patterns. Estimated migrant stocks match relatively well to the observed data, despite some overestimation of smaller migrant populations and underestimation for larger migrant populations in Germany and the United Kingdom. In addition, the model estimates missing stocks for migrant corridors and years where no data are available, offering timely now-casted estimates

Multiple Promoters and Alternative Splicing: Hoxa5 Transcriptional Complexity in the Mouse Embryo

The genomic organization of Hox clusters is fundamental for the precise spatio-temporal regulation and the function of each Hox gene, and hence for correct embryo patterning. Multiple overlapping transcriptional units exist at the Hoxa5 locus reflecting the complexity of Hox clustering: a major form of 1.8 kb corresponding to the two characterized exons of the gene and polyadenylated RNA species of 5.0, 9.5 and 11.0 kb. This transcriptional intricacy raises the question of the involvement of the larger transcripts in Hox function and regulation.We have undertaken the molecular characterization of the Hoxa5 larger transcripts. They initiate from two highly conserved distal promoters, one corresponding to the putative Hoxa6 promoter, and a second located nearby Hoxa7. Alternative splicing is also involved in the generation of the different transcripts. No functional polyadenylation sequence was found at the Hoxa6 locus and all larger transcripts use the polyadenylation site of the Hoxa5 gene. Some larger transcripts are potential Hoxa6/Hoxa5 bicistronic units. However, even though all transcripts could produce the genuine 270 a.a. HOXA5 protein, only the 1.8 kb form is translated into the protein, indicative of its essential role in Hoxa5 gene function. The Hoxa6 mutation disrupts the larger transcripts without major phenotypic impact on axial specification in their expression domain. However, Hoxa5-like skeletal anomalies are observed in Hoxa6 mutants and these defects can be explained by the loss of expression of the 1.8 kb transcript. Our data raise the possibility that the larger transcripts may be involved in Hoxa5 gene regulation.Our observation that the Hoxa5 larger transcripts possess a developmentally-regulated expression combined to the increasing sum of data on the role of long noncoding RNAs in transcriptional regulation suggest that the Hoxa5 larger transcripts may participate in the control of Hox gene expression

Chatbots als Kommunikationsinstrument: Ein Leitfaden für kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen zur Optimierung der Kundenkommunikation durch den Einsatz von Chatbots

Die Bachelorarbeit mit dem Titel "Chatbots als Kommunikationsinstrument: Ein Leitfaden für kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen zur Optimierung der Kundenkommunikation durch den Einsatz von Chatbots" zielt darauf ab, praxisorientierte Leitlinien für KMU zu entwickeln, die Chatbots zur Verbesserung ihrer Kundenkommunikation einsetzen möchten. Die Arbeit konzentriert sich auf zwei Hauptaspekte: Erstens, wie KMU Chatbots erfolgreich in ihre Marketingstrategien integrieren können, unter Berücksichtigung technischer und unternehmerischer Bedürfnisse und Ziele. Zweitens, wie der Einsatz von Chatbots die Effektivität der Kundenkommunikation in diesen Unternehmen beeinflusst, mit dem Ziel, Kundenansprache und -bindung zu verbessern sowie Prozesse zu optimieren. Durch theoretische Grundlagen und praxisnahe Empfehlungen bietet die Arbeit einen umfassenden Leitfaden, der konkrete Handlungsempfehlungen für die erfolgreiche Implementierung von Chatbots liefert. Diese sollen KMU dabei unterstützen, einen nachhaltigen Mehrwert für ihre Kundenbeziehungen zu schaffen und ihre Wettbewerbsfähigkeit zu stärken

Do Multicomponent Workplace Health and Wellbeing Programs Predict Changes in Health and Wellbeing?

Organizations typically deploy multiple health and wellbeing practices in an overall program. We explore whether practices in workplace health and wellbeing programs cohere around a small number of archetypal categories or whether differences between organizations are better explained by a continuum. We also examine whether adopting multiple practices predicts subsequent changes in health and wellbeing. Using survey data from 146 organizations, we found differences between organizations were best characterized by a continuum ranging from less to more extensive adoption of practices. Using two-wave multilevel survey data at both individual and organizational levels (N = 6968 individuals, N = 58 organizations), we found that, in organizations that adopt a wider range of health and wellbeing practices, workers with poor baseline psychological wellbeing were more likely to report subsequent improvements in wellbeing and workers who reported good physical health at baseline were less likely to report experiencing poor health at follow-up. We found no evidence that adopting multiple health and wellbeing practices buffered the impact of individuals’ workplace psychosocial hazards on physical health or psychological wellbeing.</jats:p

Longitudinal effects of engagement with workplace health programmes on employee outcomes: A relational perspective

Organizations increasingly adopt health and wellbeing programmes (HWPs), yet little is known about the underlying processes or boundary conditions that may influence the effectiveness of these initiatives on employee outcomes such as wellbeing and job satisfaction. In a 3-year study, we adopted a social exchange approach to examine: (1) the role of relational context in mediating the links between employee engagement with HWPs and wellbeing and job satisfaction over time and (2) whether organizational prioritization of HWPs moderates the relationship between engagement with HWPs and quality of relationships at work. The results of our multilevel and longitudinal structural equation model (N = 7,785 UK employees, nested within 64 organizations) showed that the more employees engage with HWPs, the better the quality of co-worker relationships, the less they experience bullying over time and the better their longer-term wellbeing and job satisfaction. Against expectations, organizational prioritization of HWPs did not moderate the link between HWPs engagement and perceived co-worker relationship quality. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed