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Higher education institutions (HEI) in general and Business Schools in particular, have a central role to play to respond to the sustainability challenges and contribute to the society. HEIs, including business schools are called to adopt holistic perspectives to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and consider sustainability across their functions. This thesis was commissioned by dean of Aalto University School of Business to investigate the current state of sustainability integration in Aalto University School of Business’ education. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the current state of sustainability integration into teaching and learning and practical recommendations as a way forward. This study focuses on the internal dimensions of the integration process with particular focus on the experiences of the academic faculty and current state of sustainability integration in the curriculum. This thesis contributes to research in sustainability integration in higher education, by generating insights of the “what” and the “how” of sustainability integration, in its every-day context. To understand the state of sustainability integration, this research follows an intensive case study approach that investigates the topic through programme and course descriptions, as well as the experience of academic faculty members in sustainability implementation. Two datasets are relevant for this study. Primary data set is formed by the interviews carried out with academic faculty from the Business School. Secondary data is formed by a selection of course and programme descriptions from 2022-2024 curriculum with a subset of course SDG labeling from 2021-2022. Main findings of this study speak of widely implemented sustainability integration in Aalto University School of Business. This study identifies multiple existing good practices for teaching strategies and diverse and effective ways of utilizing existing, internal and external resources. The findings identify current support needs in the form of expert support at discipline level, pedagogic support and need to deepen or harmonize sustainability expertise across business school. Further utilization of internal sustainability expertise, increasing understanding of sustainability competencies and teaching methods and offering non-optional, sustainability related courses in the curriculum contribute to increasingly unified approach for sustainability education in the business school

Abdominal pain in Finnish young adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Objectives Abdominal pain (AP) is a common feature in the general population. However, in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) AP has scantily been studied. Among other reasons, gastrointestinal symptoms may present as side effects due to the medical treatment of JIA. The aim of the study was to explore the frequency of AP and its relationship to disease components and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among young adults with JIA. Methods This study included a cohort of 97 Finnish patients belonging to the population-based Nordic JIA cohort at their 17-year follow-up study visit. Mean age of the patients was 23 years. AP, functional status, fatigue, HRQoL, disease characteristics of JIA, and comorbidities were evaluated. AP was classified into three categories according to frequency: (1) never, (2) seldom (one to three times a month) and (3) frequent (at least once a week). Results About 48 (50%) young adults with JIA reported AP. Seldom AP was reported by 37 (38%), and frequent AP by 11 (11%) patients. AP was significantly associated with fatigue, female gender, functional status and arthritis-related pain. Patients having frequent AP reported lower HRQoL. AP was associated with the use of methotrexate and sulfasalazine, but not with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Conclusion AP is an important complaint in young adults with JIA and is associated with fatigue, female gender, methotrexate and sulfasalazine use. Patients with JIA reporting frequent AP with lower functional status and higher arthritis-related pain values have lower HRQoL.Peer reviewe

Ilmastopolitiikan pyöreän pöydän (IPP) toiminnan arviointi ja oikeudenmukaisen siirtymän toimenpiteiden tilannekatsaus

Ilmastonmuutoksen ja sen vaikutusten kiihtyessä tarvitaan yhä enemmän laajaa yhteiskunnallista keskustelua. Ilmastopolitiikan kysymykset ja siihen liittyvät oikeudenmukaisuuden näkökulmat vaikuttavat kaikkiin yhteiskunnan jäseniin. Pääministerin puheenjohtama ilmastopolitiikan pyöreä pöytä (IPP) on perustettu ilmastonmuutosta koskevan laajan yhteiskunnallisen keskustelun vahvistamiseksi. Arviointi kattoi IPP:n toiminnan sen ensimmäisellä toimikaudella 2020–2023. Lisäksi hankkeessa tuotettiin ilmastotoimien oikeudenmukaisuuteen liittyvä tilannekatsaus. Arviointi toteaa, että IPP:n toiminta on tärkeää ja sitä tulisi jatkaa ja kehittää. Kehittämiskohteina on tarve lisätä pyöreän pöydän keskustelevuutta, IPP:n tavoitteiden kirkastaminen, sekä muun toiminnan kytkeminen valmisteluun entistä vahvemmin. IPP:n suunnittelussa tulisi punnita tarkkaan IPP:n jäsenten lukumäärä ja edustavuus, asiantuntijatyön ja korkeimman johdon työskentelyn tasapaino, kokousrytmi, muun toiminnan organisointi ja resursointi sekä puheenjohtajuuteen liittyvät kysymykset. Tilannekatsauksen perusteella oikeudenmukaisen siirtymän toimenpiteet ovat kaikkialla nuoria. Suomi on toimenpiteissään vähintäänkin samalla tasolla muiden maiden kanssa. IPP on toimintamallina ainutlaatuinen. On suositeltavaa, että Suomi arvioi oikeudenmukaisen siirtymän toimenpiteitään

Monocyte-derived extracellular vesicles stimulate cytokinesecretion and gene expression of matrixmetalloproteinases by mesenchymal stem/stromal cells

Intercellular communication is essential in bone remodelling to ensure that new bone is formed with only temporary bone loss. Monocytes (MCs) and osteoclasts actively take part in controlling bone remodelling by providing signals that promote osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs). Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have attracted attention as regulators of bone remodelling. EVs facilitate intercellular communication by transferring a complex cargo of biologically active molecules to target cells. In the present study, we evaluated the potency of EVs from MCs and osteoclasts to induce a lineage-specific response in MSCs. We analysed gene expression and protein secretion by both adipose tissue-derived MSCs and bone marrow-derived MSCs after stimulation with EVs from lipopolysaccharide-activated primary human MCs and (mineral-resorbing) osteoclasts. Isolated EVs were enriched in exosomes (EVs of endosomal origin) and were free of cell debris. MC- and osteoclast-derived EVs were taken up by adipose tissue-derived MSCs. EVs from activated MCs promoted the secretion of cytokines by MSCs, which may represent an immunomodulatory mechanism. MC-derived EVs also upregulated the expression of genes encoding for matrix metalloproteinases. Therefore, we hypothesize that MCs facilitate tissue remodelling through EV-mediated signalling. We did not observe a significant effect of osteoclast-derived EVs on gene expression or protein secretion in MSCs. EV-mediated signalling might represent an additional mode of cell-cell signalling during the transition from injury and inflammation to bone regeneration and play an important role in the coupling between bone resorption and bone formation. DatabaseGene expression data are available in the GEO database under the accession number .Peer reviewe

Prognostic factors for the disease course and 8-year outcome in Nordic children with oligoarticular-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis

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Antimicrobial use, biosecurity, herd characteristics, and antimicrobial resistance in indicator Escherichia coli in ten Finnish pig farms

We investigated connections between antimicrobial use (AMU), biosecurity, and the numbers of pigs and staff in ten Finnish farrow-to-finish herds. Data on AMU in each herd were collected for 12 months. AMU was quantified as treatment incidences per 1000 days at risk (TI) using the consensus defined daily dose calculation. Biosecurity was scored using the Biocheck.UGent T system. We also examined antimicrobial resistance patterns of indicator E. coli isolated from faeces of selected pigs. In each herd, two groups of five pigs were formed: 1) antimicrobial treatment group (ANT: at least one pig in the litter was identified as sick and treated with antimicrobials) and 2) non-antimicrobial treatment group (NON: the litter was not medicated). Faecal samples were taken from these pigs at 5 and 22 weeks of age, cultured, and indicator E. coli isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibilities. The AMU varied considerably between the herds. Altogether, most of the antimicrobial treatment courses were assigned to weaned piglets. When AMU was quantified as TIs, suckling piglets had the highest TI (mean 46.6), which was significantly higher (P 0.05). We found few connections: enhanced external biosecurity levels found in the large herds co-occurred with lower use of antimicrobials and herds with low biosecurity scores - especially in the internal subcategories - appeared to have higher proportions of resistant isolates. Conclusively, we suggest that enhancing internal biosecurity might contribute to a reduction in the spreading of antimicrobial resistance in pig herds.Peer reviewe

Psoriasis and associated variables in classification and outcome of juvenile idiopathic arthritis - an eight-year follow-up study

Background: To study the impact of psoriasis and features associated with psoriasis on classification and outcome in a population-based follow-up cohort of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Methods: In all, 440 children with JIA were followed for a median of 8 years in a prospective Nordic population-based cohort study. Data for remission was available for 427 of these children. The presence of psoriasis, psoriasis-like rash, dactylitis, nail pitting, enthesitis, tenosynovitis and heredity was assessed in relation to ILAR classification and remission. Results: Clinical findings associated with psoriasis developed consecutively during the 8-year period. Six of 14 children with psoriasis were not classified as juvenile psoriatic arthritis according to the ILAR criteria at 8 year follow-up. Dactylitis was more common in children with early onset of JIA. After 8 years we found a cumulative median number of eleven arthritic joints in children with psoriasis or psoriasis- like rash compared with six in the rest of the cohort (p = 0.02). Also, the chance for not being in remission after 8 years increased significantly in patients with psoriasis, psoriasis-like rash or at least two of: 1) first-degree heredity for psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, 2) dactylitis or 3) nail pitting, compared with the rest of the group (OR 3.32, p = 0.010). Conclusions: Our results indicate a more severe disease over time in psoriasis- associated JIA, as features of psoriasis develop during the disease course. This group is a major challenge to encompass in a future JIA classification in order to facilitate early tailored treatment.Peer reviewe

Complement lectin pathway protein levels reflect disease activity in juvenile idiopathic arthritis : a longitudinal study of the Nordic JIA cohort

Background To determine the serum levels of the lectin pathway proteins early in the disease course and 17 years after disease onset and to correlate the protein levels to markers of disease activity in participants from a population-based Nordic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) cohort. Additionally, to assess the predictive value of lectin pathway proteins with respect to remission status. Methods A population-based cohort study of consecutive cases of JIA with a disease onset from 1997 to 2000 from defined geographical areas of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark with 17 years of follow-up was performed. Clinical characteristics were registered and H-ficolin, M-ficolin, MASP-1, MASP-3, MBL and CL-K1 levels in serum were analyzed. Results In total, 293 patients with JIA were included (mean age 23.7 +/- 4.4 years; mean follow-up 17.2 +/- 1.7 years). Concentrations of the lectin protein levels in serum were higher at baseline compared to the levels 17 years after disease onset (pPeer reviewe

Complement lectin pathway protein levels reflect disease activity in juvenile idiopathic arthritis : a longitudinal study of the Nordic JIA cohort

Abstract Background To determine the serum levels of the lectin pathway proteins early in the disease course and 17 years after disease onset and to correlate the protein levels to markers of disease activity in participants from a population-based Nordic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) cohort. Additionally, to assess the predictive value of lectin pathway proteins with respect to remission status. Methods A population-based cohort study of consecutive cases of JIA with a disease onset from 1997 to 2000 from defined geographical areas of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark with 17 years of follow-up was performed. Clinical characteristics were registered and H-ficolin, M-ficolin, MASP-1, MASP-3, MBL and CL-K1 levels in serum were analyzed. Results In total, 293 patients with JIA were included (mean age 23.7 ± 4.4 years; mean follow-up 17.2 ± 1.7 years). Concentrations of the lectin protein levels in serum were higher at baseline compared to the levels 17 years after disease onset (p ≤ 0.006, n = 164). At baseline, the highest level of M-ficolin was observed in systemic JIA. Further, high M-ficolin levels at baseline and at 17-year follow-up were correlated to high levels of ESR. In contrast, high MASP-1 and MASP-3 tended to correlate to low ESR. CL-K1 showed a negative correlation to JADAS71 at baseline. None of the protein levels had prognostic abilities for remission status 17 years after disease onset. Conclusion We hypothesize that increased serum M-ficolin levels are associated with higher disease activity in JIA and further, the results indicate that MASP-1, MASP-3 and CL-K1 are markers of inflammation